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Abstract:

A shoe-reinforcement material having a fiber combination with a first
fiber component and a second fiber portion having a second fiber
component, whereby the first fiber component has a first melting point
and a first softening-temperature range lying below it, and a first fiber
portion of the second fiber component has a second melting point and a
second softening-temperature range lying below it; the first melting
point and the first softening-temperature range are higher than the
second melting point and the second softening-temperature range, the
second fiber portion of the second fiber component has a higher melting
point and a higher softening temperature lying above it than the first
fiber portion, and the fiber combination.

Claims:

1. A water-vapor-permeable composite shoe sole designed for footwear,
with at least one through hole extending through the thickness of the
composite shoe sole, which is closed by a shoe-reinforcement material
that has a fiber composite with a first fiber component and a second
fiber component, having two fiber parts, whereby the first fiber
component has a first melting point and a first softening-temperature
range lying below the first melting point and a second fiber part of the
second fiber component has a second melting point and a second
softening-temperature range lying below the second melting point; the
first melting point and the first softening-temperature range are higher
than the second melting point and the second softening-temperature range;
the first fiber part of the second fiber component has a higher melting
point and a higher softening temperature range lying beneath the first
fiber part's melting point than the second fiber part; and the fiber
composite is thermally bonded, while retaining water-vapor permeability
in the thermally bonded area, as a result of thermal activation of the
second fiber part of the second fiber component with an adhesive
softening temperature lying in the second softening-temperature range.

2. A composite shoe sole according to claim 1, in which at least one
reinforcement device engages the shoe-reinforcement material.

3. A composite shoe sole according to claim 2, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 15% of the
area of the forefoot area of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

4. A composite shoe sole according to claim 3, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 25% of the
area of the forefoot area of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

5. A composite shoe sole according to claim 4, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 40% of the
area of the forefoot area of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

6. A composite shoe sole according to claim 5, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 50% of the
area of the forefoot area of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

7. A composite shoe sole according to claim 6, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 60% of the
area of the forefoot area of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

8. A composite shoe sole according to claim 7, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 75% of the
area of the forefoot area of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

9. A composite shoe sole according to claim 2, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 15% of the
midfoot area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

10. A composite shoe sole according to claim 9, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 25% of the
midfoot area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

11. A composite shoe sole according to claim 10, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 40% of the
midfoot area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

12. A composite shoe sole according to claim 11, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 50% of the
midfoot area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

13. A composite shoe sole according to claim 12, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 60% of the
midfoot area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

14. A composite shoe sole according to claim 13, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 75% of the
midfoot area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

15. A composite shoe sole according to claim 2, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed, so that at least 15% of the front half
of the longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

16. A composite shoe sole according to claim 15, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 25% of the
front half of the longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

17. A composite shoe sole according to claim 16, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 40% of the
front half of the longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

18. A composite shoe sole according to claim 17, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 50% of the
front half of the longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

19. A composite shoe sole according to claim 18, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 60% of the
front half of the longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

20. A composite shoe sole according to claim 19, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 75% of the
front half of the longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

21. A composite shoe sole according to claim 2, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 15% of the
longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole minus the heel area is
water-vapor-permeable.

22. A composite shoe sole according to claim 21, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 25% of the
longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole minus the heel area is
water-vapor-permeable.

23. A composite shoe sole according to claim 22, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 40% of the
longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole minus the heel area is
water-vapor-permeable.

24. A composite shoe sole according to claim 23, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 50% of the
longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole minus the heel area is
water-vapor-permeable.

25. A composite shoe sole according to claim 24, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 60% of the
longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole minus the heel area is
water-vapor-permeable.

26. A composite shoe sole according to claim 25, of which at least one
reinforcement device is designed in such a way that at least 75% of the
longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole minus the heel area is
water-vapor-permeable.

27. A composite shoe sole according to claim 2, in which the
reinforcement device has a number of reinforcement elements at the at
least one through hole and a piece of the shoe-reinforcement material
that closes the at least one through hole.

28. A composite shoe sole according to claim 2, with a number of through
holes, each closed by a piece of the shoe-reinforcement material.

29. A composite shoe sole according to claim 2, with a number of through
holes all of which are closed with one piece of the shoe reinforcement
material.

30. A composite shoe sole according to claim 2, in which the
reinforcement device is designed in one piece and is attached relative
the shoe-reinforcement material to close all through holes.

31. A composite shoe sole according to claim 2, in which the at least one
through hole has an area of at least 1 cm.sup.2.

32. A composite shoe sole according to claim 31, in which the at least
one through hole has an area of at least 5 cm.sup.2.

33. A composite shoe sole according to claim 32, in which the at least
one through hole has an area of at least 20 cm2,

34. A composite shoe sole according to claim 33, in which the at least
one through hole has an area of at least 40 cm.sup.2.

35. A composite shoe sole according to claim 1, with a tread in which the
shoe-reinforcement material has at least one reinforcement bar on the
side of the shoe-reinforcement material facing the tread.

36. A composite shoe sole according to claim 1, with a tread in which at
least one support element is attached relative the shoe-reinforcement
material in the at least one through hole that extend from the side of
the shoe-reinforcement material facing the tread to the level of the
walking surface, so that during walking the shoe-reinforcement material,
is supported by the support element bracing itself against the walking
surface.

37. A composite shoe sole according to claim 36, in which at least one of
the reinforcement bars is simultaneously designed as a support element.

38. A composite shoe sole according to claim 2, of which the
reinforcement device is designed as an outsole.

39. Footwear according to claim 1, in which the shaft is constructed with
at least one shaft material, whereby the shaft material has at least a
waterproof shaft functional layer in the area of the shaft-end area on
the sole side, and whereby between the shaft functional layer and the
shaft-bottom functional layer, a waterproof seal exists.

40. Footwear according to claim 1, in which the shaft-bottom functional
layer is combined with a water-vapor-permeable shaft-mounting sole.

41. Footwear according to claim 1, in which the shaft-bottom functional
layer is part of a multilayer laminate.

42. Footwear according to claim 1, in which the shaft-bottom functional
layer is part of a multilayer laminate and forms a shaft-mounting sole.

43. Footwear according to claim 1, in which the shaft-bottom functional
layer, and optionally the shaft functional layer, has a waterproof,
water-vapor-permeable membrane.

44. Footwear according to claim 43, in which the membrane has expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene.

45. Footwear according to claim 1, with a shoe-bottom structure that has
the composite shoe sole and the shaft-bottom functional layer situated
above the shoe sole, whereby the shoe-bottom structure has a water-vapor
transmission rate (MVTR) in the range from 0.4 g/h to 3 g/h.

46. Footwear according to claim 45, of which the shoe-bottom structure
has a water-vapor transmission rate (MVTR) in the range from 0.8 g/h to
1.5 g/h.

47. Footwear according to claim 46, of which the shoe-bottom structure
has a water-vapor transmission rate (MVTR) of 1 g/h.

48. A method for producing footwear with a water-vapor-permeable
composite shoe sole according to claim 1 with a shaft that is provided on
a shaft-end area on the sole side with a waterproof and
water-vapor-permeable shaft-bottom functional layer, with the following
process steps: a) the composite shoe sole and shaft are prepared; b) the
shaft is provided on the shaft-end area on the sole side with a
waterproof and water-vapor-permeable shaft-bottom functional layer; c)
the composite shoe sole and the shaft-end area provided on the sole side
with the shaft-bottom functional layer are joined to each other in such a
way that the shaft-bottom functional layer remains unconnected to the
shaft-reinforcement material, at least in the area of the at least one
through hole.

49. A method according to claim 48, in which the shaft-end area on the
sole side is closed with the shaft-bottom functional layer.

50. A method according to claim 48, for the production of footwear, of
which the shaft is provided with a shaft functional layer, whereby a
waterproof connection is produced between the shaft functional layer and
the shaft-bottom functional layer.

[0002] The invention relates to shoe-reinforcement material for use in
footwear, a barrier unit constructed with such shoe-reinforcement
material, a composite shoe sole constructed with such shoe-reinforcement
material or the barrier unit, footwear constructed with such composite
shoe sole and a method for producing such footwear.

[0003] The need to decide, as an alternative, either on a waterproof shoe
bottom structure that blocks sweat moisture or on one permeable to sweat
moisture, but also water-permeable, no longer exists, since there have
been shoe-bottom structures that are waterproof, despite water
vapor-permeability, specifically based on the use of a perforated outsole
or one provided with through holes and a waterproof, water
vapor-permeable functional layer arranged above it, for example, in the
form of a membrane. Documents EP 0,275,644 A2, EP 0,382,904 A2, EP
1,506,723 A2, EP 0,858,270 B1, DE 100 36 100 C1, EP 959,704 B1, WO
2004/028,284 A1, DE 20 2004 08539 U1, and WO 2005/065479 A1 provide
examples.

[0004] Since the human foot has a strong tendency to sweat, the effort of
the present invention seeks to make footwear available that has a
shoe-bottom structure with particularly high water-vapor permeability,
without seriously compromising its stability.

[0005] In footwear with an outsole with small through holes according to
EP 0,382,904 A2, sufficient stability of the sole structure can be
achieved with normally stiff outsole material, but only with moderate
water-vapor permeability of the shoe bottom.

[0006] Sole structures according to EP 959,704 B1 and WO 2004/028,284 A1,
which have an outsole favoring higher water-vapor permeability, which
consist essentially of only a peripheral frame for incorporation of
water-vapor-permeable material, in addition to a number of separate
outsole cleats, which are supposed to protect a membrane situated above
them from penetration of foreign bodies, such as small pebbles, but
themselves are not separately stable, do not provide a degree of
reinforcement of the sole structure, as is desired for many types of
footwear.

[0007] The situation is similar in the sole structures according to DE 20
2004 08539 U1 and WO 2005/065,479 A1, in which waterproof,
water-vapor-permeable inserts are inserted into large-area openings of
the outsole, which have a membrane that covers the opening waterproof,
and beneath it a laminated mesh serving to protect the membrane against
penetration of foreign objects. Since both the membrane and the laminated
mesh consist of relatively soft materials, so that they can scarcely make
a contribution to reinforcement of the sole structure, the stability of
the sole structure is weakened at the sites of the large-area openings.

[0008] Better reinforcement of the shoe bottom structure was achieved in
an athletic shoe according to DE 100 36 100 C1, whose outsole is formed
from outsole parts with large-area openings, in that the outsole parts
are arranged on the bottom of a support layer consisting of
compression-proof plastic, which is provided with mesh-like openings at
the sites that lie above the large-area openings of the outsole parts and
is therefore water vapor-permeable, like the outsole parts. A membrane is
arranged between a support layer and an insole situated above it provided
with holes for water-vapor permeability, with which not only
waterproofness with water-vapor permeability is to be achieved, but small
pebbles that the mesh openings of the support layer cannot keep out are
also supposed to be prevented from penetrating into the shoe interior.
The membrane, which is easily damaged by mechanical effects, is therefore
supposed to offer protection that it itself actually requires.

[0009] Other solutions, for example, according to EP 1,506,723 A2 and EP
0,858,270 B1, propose a protective layer beneath the membrane as
protection against penetration of foreign objects, such as pebbles that
have entered through a perforated outsole, to the membrane.

[0010] In embodiments of EP 1,506,723 A2, the membrane and the protective
layer are joined to each other by spot gluing, i.e., by means of a glue
pattern applied as a dot matrix. Only the surface part of the membrane
not covered by glue is still available for water-vapor transport. The
membrane and the protective layer then form a glue composite that either
forms a composite sole with an outsole that is attached as such to the
shaft bottom of the footwear or form a part of the shaft bottom, onto
which an outsole still has to be attached.

[0011] In another embodiment of EP 1,506,723 A2, the outsole is divided in
two in terms of thickness, both outsole layers are provided with flush
through holes of relatively small diameter, and the protective layer is
arranged between the two outsole layers. The membrane in the finished
footwear is situated on the top of the outsole. Since only the through
hole surface part of this outsole is available for water-vapor passage,
only a correspondingly smaller part of the membrane surface can have an
effect on water-vapor passage. It has also turned out that standing air
volumes inhibit water-vapor transport. Such standing air volumes are
formed in the through holes of this outsole, and their elimination by air
circulation through the outsole is adversely affected by the protective
layer. Added to the effect that the surface parts of the membrane that
lie outside the through holes of the outsole and make up a significant
percentage of the total membrane area cannot have an effect with respect
to water-vapor transport is the fact that the surface parts of the
membrane opposite the through holes also have only a restricted effect
with respect to water-vapor transport.

[0012] It is now a common division of labor in the production of footwear
that one manufacturer produces the shoe shaft and another manufacturer is
responsible for producing the corresponding shoe sole or the
corresponding composite shoe sole or molding it onto the shoe shaft.
Since the manufacturers of shoe soles are ordinarily less equipped and
experienced in handling waterproof, water-vapor-permeable membranes,
shoe-bottom concepts are worth seeking, in which the composite shoe sole,
as such, is free of a membrane and the membrane forms part of the shaft
bottom onto which the composite shoe sole is arranged. It is therefore
the object of the present invention to provide footwear that has a
shoe-bottom structure with permanent waterproofness and with particularly
high water-vapor permeability, preferably achieving the highest possible
stability of the shoe-bottom structure, a composite shoe sole suitable
for this, as well as a method for producing footwear.

[0013] To solve this object, the invention makes available a
shoe-reinforcement material according to claim 1 or 39 that can be used
according to claim 41 for a water-vapor-permeable composite shoe sole, a
water-vapor-permeable barrier unit according to claim 43, a
water-vapor-permeable composite shoe sole according to claim 88, footwear
with a composite shoe sole according to claim 128, and a method for
producing footwear according to claim 138. Modifications of these objects
and methods are mentioned in the corresponding dependent claims.

[0014] According to a first aspect of the invention, a shoe-reinforcement
material is made available, that has a fiber composite with a first fiber
component and a second fiber component, having two fiber parts, in which
the first fiber component has a first melting point and a first softening
temperature range lying below it, and the second fiber part of the second
fiber component has a second melting point and a second softening
temperature range lying below it, the first melting point and the first
softening temperature range being higher than the second melting point
and the second softening temperature range, the first fiber part of the
second fiber component having a higher melting point and a higher
softening temperature lying below it when the second fiber part and the
fiber composite, as a result of thermal activation of the second fiber
part of the second fiber component, is thermally bonded, while
maintaining water-vapor permeability in the thermally bonded area with an
adhesive softening temperature lying in the second softening temperature
range.

[0015] "Melting point" is understood to mean, in the field of polymer or
fiber structures, a narrow temperature range in which the crystalline
areas of the polymer or fiber structure melt and the polymer converts to
a liquid state. It lies above the softening temperature range and is a
significant characteristic for partially crystalline polymers. "Softening
temperature range" is understood to mean, in the field of synthetic
fibers, a temperature range of different width occurring before the
melting point is reached, in which softening, but no melting occurs.

[0016] This property is utilized in the reinforcement material according
to the invention in that a material choice made for the two fiber
components of the fiber composite so that the conditions according to the
invention with respect to melting points and softening temperature ranges
are met for the two fiber components and fiber parts, and a temperature
is chosen for thermal bonding that represents an adhesive softening
temperature for the second fiber part of the second fiber component, at
which softening of this fiber part of the second fiber component occurs,
in which case its material exerts an adhesive effect, so that at least
part of the fibers of the second fiber component are thermally bonded to
one another by gluing, to the extent that bonding reinforcement of the
fiber composite occurs, which lies above the bonding obtained in a fiber
composite with the same materials for the two fiber components by purely
mechanical bonding, for example, by needle-bonding of the fiber
composite. The adhesive softening temperature can also be chosen in such
a way that softening of the second fiber part of the second fiber
component occurs to such an extent that gluing develops not only of the
[fibers of the] second fiber part of the second fiber component to one
another, but also partial or full enclosure of individual sites of the
fibers of the first fiber component with softened material of the second
fiber part of the second fiber component, i.e., partial or complete
embedding of such sites of fibers of the first fiber component in the
material of the second fiber part of the second fiber component, so that
a correspondingly increased reinforcement bonding of the fiber composite
develops. This also applies to the case in which the second fiber
component is a fiber structure with two axially running fiber parts
arranged side-to-side, one of which has a higher melting point and a
higher softening temperature range and the other has a lower melting
point and a lower softening temperature range. In this case, during
adhesive softening of the second fiber part of the second fiber component
to the mentioned extent, partial or full enclosure not only of individual
sites of the fibers of the first fiber component, but also the first
fiber part of the second fiber component occurs.

[0017] By additional compression of the fiber composite during or after
adhesive softening of the second fiber component, an additional increase
in reinforcement can be achieved, through which partial or full embedding
of fiber sites in softened material of fibers of the second fiber
component is further intensified. The thermal bonding of the fiber
composite, achieved by using the adhesive softening temperature, is to be
chosen, on the other hand, in such a way that sufficient water-vapor
permeability of the fiber composite is produced, i.e., fiber bonding is
always restricted to the individual bonding sites, so that sufficient
unbonded sites for water-vapor transport remain. The choice of adhesive
softening temperature can be made according to the desired requirements
of the practical embodiment, especially with respect to stability
properties and water-vapor permeability.

[0018] The choice (unlike in the present invention) of two fiber
components, one of which has a higher first melting point and a higher
first melting-point range and the other a lower second melting point and
a lower second softening temperature range, a fiber composite with lower
stability is obtained. On the one hand, fibers with a lower melting point
and a lower softening temperature range are generally not as mechanically
strong and stable as fibers with a higher melting point and a higher
softening temperature range. On the other hand, an additional mechanical
weakening of the fiber components with a lower melting point can occur
during adhesive softening, for example, by a reduction in the fiber
cross-section as a result of tensile forces that can occur during the
adhesive softening process.

[0019] Since, according to the invention, both fiber components are
constructed with fiber materials with a higher first melting point and a
higher first softening temperature range, the first fiber component
overall and a fiber part in the second fiber component and only the other
fiber part of the second fiber component have a lower second melting
point and the lower second softening temperature range, both fiber
components provide a mechanical stability imparted by the fiber material
with the higher melting point in the higher softening temperature range,
with the result of a mechanically particularly stable fiber composite.
The first fiber component and the first fiber part of the second fiber
component each form a stabilizing support component, only the second
fiber part of the second fiber component forming the bonding component of
the barrier material.

[0020] By choosing certain materials for the two fiber components and by
choosing the degree of thermal bonding of the fiber composite, a desired
reinforcement of the fiber composite with respect to its state before
thermal bonding can be achieved while maintaining water-vapor
permeability. Because of this thermal bonding, the fiber composite
reaches a strength, based on which it is particularly suitable as a
shoe-reinforcement material, which finds use, especially at the locations
in the shoe bottom of footwear, at which water-vapor permeability is
important. Examples of use of the shoe-reinforcement material according
to the invention in the area of the shoe bottom are insert soles, insoles
or shaft-mounting soles, and protective layers.

[0021] Because of its thermal bonding and the stability achieved, such a
barrier material is particularly suited for a composite shoe sole that is
designed to obtain high water-vapor permeability with large-area
openings, so that it requires, on the one hand, a barrier material to
protect a membrane situated above it from penetration up to the membrane.

[0022] Unlike a non-woven fiber composite ordinarily used in the shoe
bottom area, which is constructed with a single fiber component that is
completely melted and thermally compressed in the attempt at thermal
bonding, in such a shoe-reinforcement material according to the
invention, by selecting the materials for the at least two fiber
components and by the parameters chosen for thermal bonding, degrees of
freedom can be utilized by means of which the degree of the desired
stability, as well as the degree of water-vapor permeability can be set.
By softening the fiber component with the lower melting point, not only
are the fibers of this fiber component fixed with respect to each other,
but during the thermal bonding process, fixation of the fiber of the
other fiber component with the higher melting point also occurs, which
leads to particularly good mechanical bonding and stability of the fiber
composite. By choosing the ratio between fibers of the fiber component
with a higher melting point and the fibers of the fiber component with a
lower melting point, as well as by choosing the adhesive softening
temperature and therefore the degree of softening, properties of the
shoe-reinforcement material, such as air permeability, water-vapor
permeability, and mechanical stability of the shoe-reinforcement
material, can be adjusted.

[0023] In one embodiment of the shoe-reinforcement material according to
the invention, its fiber composite is a textile fabric, which can be a
woven, warp-knit, knit, or non-woven fabric, or a felt, mesh, or lay. In
a practical embodiment, the fiber composite is a mechanically
strengthened non-woven material, in which mechanical bonding can be
achieved by needling of the fiber composite. Water jet bonding can also
be used for mechanical bonding of the fiber composite, where, instead of
true needles, water jets are used for mechanical bonding entanglement of
the fibers of the fiber composite.

[0024] The first fiber component and the first fiber part of the second
fiber component in the shoe-reinforcement material according to the
invention each form a support component, and the second fiber part of the
second fiber component forms a bonding component of the
shoe-reinforcement material.

[0025] The choice of materials for the fiber components is made in one
embodiment, in such a way that at least part of the second fiber
component and then, if the second fiber component includes at least a
first fiber part and a second fiber part, at least part of the second
fiber part of the second fiber component can be activated at a
temperature in the range between 80 and 230° C. for adhesive
softening.

[0026] In one embodiment, the second softening temperature range lies
between 60 and 220° C.

[0027] Especially in view of the fact that footwear and mostly its sole
structure are often exposed to relatively high temperatures during
production, for example, during molding-on of an outsole, in one
embodiment of the invention, the first fiber component, and optionally
the first fiber part of the second fiber component, are melt-resistant at
a temperature of at least 130° C., whereby, in practical
embodiments, melt resistance at a temperature of at least 170° C.
or even at least 250° C. is chosen by appropriate selection of the
material for the first fiber part, and optionally for the first fiber
part of the second fiber component.

[0028] For the first fiber part, and optionally the first fiber part and
the second fiber component, materials such as natural fibers, plastic
fibers, metal fibers, glass fibers, carbon fibers, and blends thereof,
are appropriate. Leather fibers represent an appropriate material in the
context of natural fibers.

[0029] In one embodiment of the invention, the second fiber part of the
second fiber is constructed with at least one synthetic fiber suitable
for thermal bonding at an appropriate temperature.

[0030] In one embodiment of the invention, at least one of the two fiber
components, and optionally at least one of the two fiber parts of the
second fiber component, are chosen from the material group comprising
polyolefins, polyamide, copolyamide, viscose, polyurethane, polyacrylic,
polybutylene terephthalate, and blends thereof. The polyolefin can then
be chosen from polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0031] In one embodiment of the invention, at least the second fraction of
the second fiber component is constructed with at least one thermoplastic
material. The second fiber part of the second fiber component can be
chosen from the material group polyamide, copolyamide, polybutylene
terephthalate, and polyolefins, or also from the material group polyester
and copolyester.

[0033] In one embodiment of the invention, both fiber parts of the second
fiber component consist of polyester, the polyester of the second fiber
part having a lower melting point than the polyester of the first fiber
part.

[0034] Polyester polymers have a melting point in the range from
256° C. to 292° C. (see Textilpraxis International,
Denkendorf Fiber Table 1986, ITV (Institute for Textile and Process
Technology)). In a practical embodiment, a polyester with a softening
temperature of about 230° C. is chosen for the first fiber
component and a polyester with an adhesive softening temperature of about
200° C. is chosen for the second fiber part of the second fiber
component.

[0035] In one embodiment of the invention, at least the second fiber
component has a core-shell structure, i.e., a structure, in which a core
material of the fiber component is coaxially surrounded by a shell layer.
The first fiber part, having a higher melting point, then forms the core
and the second fiber part, having a lower melting point, forms the shell.

[0036] In another embodiment of the invention, the second fiber component
has a side-to-side structure, i.e., there are two different fiber parts
running in the longitudinal direction of the fiber, each of which has a
semicircular cross-section, positioned against each other so that the two
fiber components are joined lying side by side. One side forms the fiber
part having a higher melting point and the second side the second fiber
part having a lower melting point.

[0037] One side then forms the first fiber part, having a higher melting
point, and the second side the second fiber part, having a lower melting
point, of the second fiber component of the shoe-reinforcement material.

[0038] In one embodiment of the invention, the second fiber component has
a weight percentage, with respect to the basis weight of the fiber
composite, in the range from 10% to 90%. In one embodiment, the weight
percentage of the second fiber component lies in a range from 10% to 60%.
In practical embodiments, the weight percentage of the second fiber
component lies at 50% or 20%.

[0039] In one embodiment of the invention, the materials of the two fiber
components, and optionally for the two fiber parts of the second fiber
component, are chosen in such a way that their melting points differ by
at least 20 C.°.

[0040] The shoe-reinforcement material can be thermally bonded over its
entire thickness. Depending on the requirements to be achieved,
especially with respect to air permeability, water-vapor permeability,
and stability, embodiments can be chosen in which only part of the
thickness of the shoe-reinforcement material is thermally bonded. In one
embodiment of the invention, the thermally bonded shoe-reinforcement
material, over at least part of its thickness, is additionally compressed
on at least one surface by means of pressure and temperature for surface
smoothing. When the shoe-reinforcement material is used as an inner sole,
this leads to the advantage that the foot of the user of the footwear is
in contact with the smooth inner sole surface. When the
shoe-reinforcement material is used as a barrier material to protect a
membrane lying above it, it can be advantageous to smooth the bottom of
the shoe-reinforcement material facing the tread of the composite shoe
sole by surface compression, because dirt that reaches the bottom of the
shoe-reinforcement material through through holes of the composite shoe
sole then adheres less readily to it. At the same time, the abrasion
resistance of the shoe-reinforcement material is increased.

[0041] In another embodiment, the shoe-reinforcement material according to
the invention is finished with one or more agents from the material group
water-repellants, dirt-repellants, oil-repellants, antibacterial agents,
deodorants, and combinations thereof.

[0042] In another embodiment, the barrier material is made
water-repellant, dirt-repellant, oil-repellant, or antibacterial, and/or
treated against odor.

[0043] In one embodiment of the invention, the shoe-reinforcement material
has a water-vapor permeability of at least 4000 g/m2-24 h. In
practical embodiments, a water-vapor permeability of at least 7000
g/m2-24 h or even 10,000 g/m2-24 h is chosen.

[0044] In embodiments of the invention, the shoe-reinforcement material
has a thickness in the range from at least 1 mm to 5 mm, whereby
practical embodiments, especially in the range from 1 mm to 2.5 mm, or
even in the range from 1 mm to 1.5 mm, are chosen, the specially selected
thickness depending on the special application of the shoe-reinforcement
material, and also on which surface we desire to provide with smoothness,
air permeability, water-vapor permeability, and mechanical strength.

[0045] In a practical embodiment of the invention, the shoe-reinforcement
material has a fiber composite with at least two fiber components that
differ with respect to melting point and softening temperature range, a
first fiber component consisting of polyester and having a first melting
point and a first softening temperature range lying below it, and at
least part of a second fiber component having a second melting point and
a second softening temperature range lying below it, whereby the first
melting point and the first melting-point range are higher than the
second melting point and the second melting-point range. The second fiber
component has a core-shell structure and a first fiber part of polyester
that forms the core and a second fiber part of polyester that forms the
shell, the first fiber part having a higher melting point and a higher
softening temperature range than the second fiber part. The fiber
composite, as a result of thermal activation of the second fiber
component, is thermally bonded, while maintaining water-vapor
permeability in the thermally bonded area, with an adhesive softening
temperature lying in the second softening temperature range, and the
fiber composite is a needled felt that is compressed at least on one of
its surfaces by means of pressure and temperature.

[0046] In one embodiment of the invention, the shoe-reinforcement material
is obtained by surface compression of a surface of the fiber composite
with a surface pressure in the range from 1.5 N/cm2 to 4 N/cm2
at a heating-plate temperature of 230° C. for 10 s. In a practical
embodiment, the surface compression of a surface of the fiber composite
occurs with a surface pressure of 3.3 N/cm2 at a heating-plate
temperature of 230° C. for 10 s.

[0047] In one embodiment of the invention, the shoe-reinforcement material
is produced with a puncture strength in the range from 290 N to 320 N, so
that it forms good protection for a waterproof, water-vapor-permeable
membrane situated above it against penetration of foreign objects such as
small pebbles.

[0048] A shoe-reinforcement material according to the invention can be
used in a water-vapor-permeable composite shoe sole, for example, as a
water-vapor-permeable barrier layer that stabilizes the composite shoe
sole and protects a membrane situated above it.

[0049] According to a second aspect, the invention makes available a
water-vapor-permeable barrier unit that is constructed with at least one
piece of a shoe-reinforcement material, having a fiber composite with at
least two fiber components that differ with respect to melting point,
whereby at least one part of a first fiber component has a first melting
point and a first melting-point range lying below it, and at least one
part of the second fiber component has a second melting point and a
second softening temperature range lying beneath it, and the first
melting point and the first softening temperature range are higher than
the second melting point and the second softening temperature range,
whereby the fiber composite, as a result of thermal activation of the
second fiber component, is thermally bonded, while maintaining
water-vapor permeability in the thermally bonded area, with an adhesive
softening temperature lying in the second softening temperature range and
whereby the barrier unit is formed as at least part of a
water-vapor-permeable composite shoe sole with at least one through hole
extending through the thickness of the composite shoe sole, and the
barrier unit is formed in such a way that its reinforcement material,
after preparation of the composite shoe sole, closes off its at least one
through hole as a barrier against penetration of foreign objects through
the at least one through hole and therefore through the composite shoe
sole.

[0050] In one embodiment of the invention, at least one reinforcement
device is assigned to the at least one piece of shoe-reinforcement
material. This achieves a situation in which additional reinforcement is
added to the intrinsic stability that the shoe-reinforcement material
has, because of its thermal bonding, and optionally surface compression,
which can be deliberately produced at certain sites in the barrier unit,
especially in the area of through holes of the composite shoe sole that
are made over a large area, in order to provide high water-vapor
permeability of the composite shoe sole.

[0051] The forefoot area and midfoot area of the composite shoe sole will
be discussed next. In the human foot, the forefoot is the longitudinal
foot area extending over the toes and ball of the foot to the beginning
of the instep, and the midfoot is the longitudinal foot area between the
ball of the foot and the heel. In connection with the composite shoe sole
according to the invention, "forefoot area" and "midfoot area" mean the
longitudinal area of the composite shoe sole over which the forefoot or
the midfoot of the wearer of the footwear extends when footwear provided
with such a composite shoe sole is worn.

[0052] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that at least 15% of the surface of the
forefoot area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0053] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that 25% of the surface of the forefoot
area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0054] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that 40% of the surface of the forefoot
area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0055] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that 50% of the surface of the forefoot
area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0056] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that 60% of the surface of the forefoot
area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0057] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that 75% of the surface of the forefoot
area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0058] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that 30% of the surface of the midfoot
area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0059] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that 50% of the surface of the midfoot
area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0060] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that 60% of the surface of the midfoot
area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0061] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that 75% of the surface of the midfoot
area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0062] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that 15% of the surface of the midfoot
area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0063] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that 25% of the surface of the midfoot
area of the composite shoe sole is water-vapor-permeable.

[0064] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that at least 40% of the front half of
the longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

[0065] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that at least 60% of the front half of
the longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

[0066] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such as way that at least 75% of the front half of
the longitudinal extent of the composite shoe sole is
water-vapor-permeable.

[0067] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that of the longitudinal extent of the
composite shoe sole minus the heel area, at least 15% is
water-vapor-permeable.

[0068] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that of the longitudinal extent of the
composite shoe sole minus the heel area, at least 25% is
water-vapor-permeable.

[0069] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that of the longitudinal extent of the
composite shoe sole minus the heel area, at least 40% is
water-vapor-permeable.

[0070] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that of the longitudinal extent of the
composite shoe sole minus the heel area, at least 60% is
water-vapor-permeable.

[0071] In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one stabilization
device is designed in such a way that of the longitudinal extent of the
composite shoe sole minus the heel area, at least 75% is
water-vapor-permeable.

[0072] The percentages just stated in connection with water-vapor
permeability, refer to that part of the entire composite shoe sole that
corresponds to the area within the outside contour of the foot sole of
the wearer of the footwear, i.e., essentially the surface part of the
composite shoe sole that is enclosed in the finished footwear by the
inner periphery of the lower shaft end on the sole side (shaft contour on
the sole side). A shoe-sole edge that protrudes radially outward above
the shaft contour on the sole side, i.e., protrudes above the foot sole
of the wearer of the footwear, need not have water-vapor permeability,
because no sweat-releasing foot area is situated there. The percentages
mentioned therefore refer, with respect to the forefoot area, to the part
of the area included by the shaft contour on the sole side, bounded on
the forefoot length and, with respect to the midfoot area, to the part of
the surface enclosed by the shaft contour on the sole side, bounded on
the midfoot length.

[0073] If the footwear considered is a business shoe whose outsole has an
outsole peripheral edge protruding relatively widely above the outside of
the shaft contour on the sole side, which, for example, is firmly
stitched onto a mounting frame that also runs around the outside of the
shaft contour on the sole side, water-vapor permeability need not exist
in the area of this outsole peripheral edge, since this area is situated
outside the part of the composite shoe sole contacted by the foot, and
therefore no sweat release occurs in this area. The percentages mentioned
in the preceding paragraphs refer to footwear that does not have the
above-mentioned protruding outsole edge typical of business shoes. Since
this outsole area of the business shoe can account for about 20% of the
total outsole surface, about 20% can be subtracted from the total outsole
area in business shoes, and the above-mentioned percentages for
water-vapor permeability of the composite shoe sole pertain to the
remaining 80% of the total outsole area.

[0074] The reinforcement device can consist of one or more reinforcement
bars that are arranged, for example, on the bottom of the barrier
material on the outsole side.

[0075] In one embodiment, the reinforcement device is provided with at
least one opening that forms at least one part of the through hole after
production of the composite shoe sole and is closed with barrier
material.

[0076] In one embodiment of the invention, the above-mentioned percentage
water-vapor permeabilities in the forefoot area and/or midfoot areas are
provided mostly or even exclusively in the area of the at least one
opening of the reinforcement device.

[0077] In one embodiment of the invention, at least one support element is
assigned to the shoe-reinforcement material in the through hole or at
least one of the through holes that extends from the side of the
shoe-reinforcement material facing the tread to the level of the tread,
so that the shoe-reinforcement material, during walking, is supported on
the floor by the support element. In this case, at least one of the
reinforcement bars can simultaneously be designed as a support element.

[0078] For example, if we have a composite shoe sole that has the barrier
unit and a one-part or two-part outsole arranged beneath it that has
passage openings for water-vapor permeability, the passage openings of
the outsole or outsole parts and the barrier unit can have the same or
different areas. It is important that these passage openings at least
partially overlap, in which case an intersection surface of the
corresponding passage opening of the barrier unit and the corresponding
passage opening of the outsole or the outsole part forms a through hole
through the entire composite shoe sole. In stipulating a specific
dimension of the passage opening of the outsole or outsole part, the
extent of the through hole is greatest, if the corresponding passage
opening of the barrier unit is at least equally large and extends over
the entire area of the corresponding passage opening of the outsole or
outsole part, or vice versa.

[0079] Due to the fact that the corresponding opening of the composite
shoe sole is closed with a water-vapor-permeable barrier material,
water-vapor permeability in the at least one opening of the composite
shoe sole is achieved with simultaneous protection of a membrane situated
above it against the penetration of foreign objects, such as pebbles.
Since the shoe-reinforcement material used for the barrier unit is a
result of thermal bonding and optionally additional surface compression
and can be equipped with significantly higher intrinsic stability, than
the material can provide without thermal bonding and surface bonding, the
shoe-reinforcement material of the barrier unit can offer sufficient
reinforcement to the composite shoe sole provided with the through holes,
even if the one or more openings of the composite shoe sole are designed
with a very large area in the interest of high water-vapor-permeability.
This intrinsic stability is further increased by the use of the already
mentioned additional reinforcement device selectively in areas of the
composite shoe sole that require special reinforcement.

[0080] If the reinforcement device is provided with several openings,
these can either be closed overall with a piece of the barrier material
or each with a piece of barrier material.

[0081] The reinforcement device can be designed to be sole-shaped, if it
is to extend over the entire area of the composite shoe sole, or
partially sole-shaped, if it is to be provided only in part of the area
of the composite shoe sole.

[0082] In one embodiment of the invention, the reinforcement device of the
barrier unit has at least one reinforcement frame that stabilizes at
least the composite shoe sole, so that the composite shoe sole
experiences an additional reinforcement apart from the stabilizing effect
through the barrier material. A particularly good reinforcement effect is
achieved, if the reinforcement frame is fit into the at least one
opening, or at least one of the openings of the composite shoe sole, so
that where the composite shoe sole is initially weakened in its stability
by the openings with the largest possible area, good reinforcement of the
composite shoe sole is nevertheless ensured by means of the reinforcement
frame.

[0083] In one embodiment of the barrier unit according to the invention,
the at least one opening of the reinforcement device has an area of at
least 1 cm2. In practical embodiments, an opening area with at least
one opening of at least 5 cm2, for example, in the range from 8 to
15 cm2, or even at least 10 cm2, or even at least 20 cm2,
or even at least 40 cm2, is chosen.

[0084] In the barrier unit according to the invention, the reinforcement
device has at least one reinforcement bar, which is arranged on at least
one surface of the barrier material and at least partially bridges the
area of the at least one opening. If the reinforcement device is provided
with a reinforcement frame, a reinforcement bar can be arranged on the
reinforcement frame. Several reinforcement bars can be provided that form
a mesh-like structure on at least one surface of the barrier material.
Such a mesh structure leads to particularly good reinforcement of the
composite shoe sole, on the one hand, and also prevents larger foreign
objects, such as larger stones or ground elevations, from penetrating up
to the barrier material and being felt by the user of the footwear
equipped with such a barrier unit.

[0085] In one embodiment, the reinforcement device of the barrier unit
according to the invention is constructed with at least one thermoplastic
material. Thermoplastic materials of the type already mentioned can be
used for this.

[0086] In one embodiment of the invention, the reinforcement device and
the barrier material are at least partially connected to each other, for
example, by gluing, welding, molding on or around, or vulcanization on or
around. During molding or vulcanization on, attachment between the
reinforcement device and the barrier material occurs mostly on opposite
surface areas. During molding and vulcanization around, peripheral
incorporation of the barrier material with the reinforcement device
mostly occurs.

[0087] In one embodiment of the invention, the reinforcement device of the
composite shoe sole is designed as an outsole.

[0088] In one embodiment of the invention, the barrier unit forms the
composite shoe sole. The reinforcement device and the barrier unit can be
designed as an outsole. However, there is also the possibility that the
barrier unit and an outsole form the composite shoe sole.

[0089] In one embodiment, the barrier unit is water-permeable.

[0090] According to a third aspect of the invention, a
water=vapor-permeable composite shoe sole designed for footwear is made
available that has at least one through hole extending through the
thickness of the composite shoe sole, which is closed by means of
shoe-reinforcement material, that has a fiber composite with at least two
fiber components that differ with respect to melting point, whereby at
least one part of a first fiber component has a first melting point and a
first softening temperature range lying below it, and at least one part
of a second fiber component has a second melting point and a second
softening temperature range lying below it, and the first melting point
and the first softening temperature range are higher than the second
melting point and the second softening temperature range, and whereby the
fiber composite, as a result of thermal activation of the second fiber
component, is thermally bonded, while maintaining water-vapor
permeability in the thermally bonded area, with an adhesive softening
temperature lying in the second softening temperature range.

[0091] In one embodiment, the composite shoe sole according to the
invention is constructed with the barrier unit according to the
invention, for example, according to one or more of the embodiments
mentioned above for the barrier unit.

[0092] The composite shoe sole is also made water-permeable. In one
modification of the invention, a top of the barrier unit at least
partially forms a top of the composite shoe sole.

[0093] According to a fourth aspect, the invention makes available
footwear with a composite shoe sole according to the invention that can
be constructed according to one or more of the embodiments mentioned
above in connection with the composite shoe sole. The footwear then has a
shaft that is provided on a shaft end area on the sole side with a
waterproof and water-vapor permeable shaft-bottom functional layer,
whereby the composite shoe sole is connected to the shaft-end area
provided with the shaft-bottom functional layer, so that the shaft-bottom
functional layer, at least in the area of at least one opening of the
composite shoe sole, is not joined to the shoe-reinforcement material.

[0094] The shaft-bottom functional layer in this footwear according to the
invention, on the shaft end area on the sole side and the barrier
material in the composite shoe sole according to the invention, leads to
several advantages. On the one hand, handling of the shaft-bottom
functional layer is brought into the area of shaft production and kept
out of the area of production of the composite shoe sole. This takes into
account the practice that shaft manufacturers and composite-sole
manufactures are often different manufacturers or at least different
manufacturing areas, and the shaft manufacturer is usually better set up
to handle functional-layer material and its intrinsic problems than
shoe-sole manufacturers or composite-shoe-sole manufacturers. On the
other hand, the shaft-bottom functional layer and the barrier material,
if they are not accommodated in the composite itself, but are divided to
the shaft-bottom composite and the shoe-sole composite, after attachment
of the composite shoe sole on the lower shaft-end area, can be kept
essentially unconnected to each other, since their positioning with
respect to each other in the finished footwear is brought about by
attachment (by gluing on or molding on) of the composite shoe sole on the
lower shaft end. Keeping the shaft-bottom functional layer and the
attaching material fully or largely unbonded to each other means that
there need be no gluing between them, which would lead to blocking of
part of the active area of the functional layer, affecting water-vapor
permeability even in the case of gluing with a spot-like glue.

[0095] In one embodiment of the footwear according to the invention, the
shaft is constructed with at least one shaft material that has a
waterproof shaft functional layer, at least in the area of the shaft-end
area on the sole side, whereby a waterproof seal exists between the shaft
functional layer and the shaft-bottom functional layer. We then arrive at
footwear, in which the foot is waterproof, both in the shaft area and in
the shaft-bottom area and at the transition sites between the two, while
maintaining water-vapor permeability both in the shaft and the
shaft-bottom area.

[0096] In one embodiment of the footwear according to the invention, the
shaft-bottom functional layer is assigned to a water-vapor-permeable
shaft-mounting sole, whereby the shaft-bottom functional layer can be
part of a multilayer laminate. The shaft-mounting sole can itself also be
formed by the shaft-bottom functional layer constructed with the
laminate. The shaft-bottom functional layer, and optionally the shaft
functional layer, can be formed by a waterproof, water-vapor-permeable
coating or by a waterproof, water-vapor-permeable membrane, whereby
either a microporous membrane or a membrane having no pores can be
involved. In one embodiment of the invention, the membrane has expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).

[0097] Appropriate materials for the waterproof, water-vapor-permeable
functional layer are polyurethane, polypropylene, and polyester,
including polyether esters and laminates thereof, as described in the
documents U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,418 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,870. However,
microporous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is particularly
preferred, as described, for example, in documents U.S. Pat. No.
3,953,566 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,390, and expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene provided with hydrophilic impregnation agents
and/or hydrophilic layers; see, for example, document U.S. Pat. No.
4,194,041. "Microporous functional layer" is understood to mean a
functional layer, whose average pore size is between about 0.2 μm and
about 0.3 μm. The pore size can be measured with a Coulter Porometer
(trade name) produced by Coulter Electronics Inc., Hialeah, Fla., USA.

[0098] According to a fifth aspect, the invention makes available a method
for producing footwear, which, in addition to a water-vapor-permeable
composite shoe sole according to the invention, for example, according to
one or more of the embodiments stated above for the composite shoe sole,
has a shaft that is provided on a shaft-end area on the sole side with a
waterproof and water-vapor-permeable shaft-bottom functional layer. In
this method, the composite shoe sole and the shaft are prepared first.
The shaft is provided on the shaft-end area on the sole side with a
waterproof and water-vapor-permeable shaft-bottom functional layer. The
composite shoe sole and the shaft-end area provided on the sole side with
the shaft-bottom functional layer are joined to each other, so that the
shaft bottom functional layer remains unconnected to the
shoe-reinforcement material, at least in the area of the at least one
opening. This leads to the advantages already explained above.

[0099] In one embodiment of this method, the shaft-end area on the sole
side is closed with the shaft-bottom functional layer. For the case in
which the shaft is provided with a shaft functional layer, a waterproof
connection is produced between the shaft functional layer and the
shaft-bottom functional layer. This leads to footwear that is waterproof
and water-vapor-permeable all around.

[0100] The invention, task aspects of the invention, and advantages of the
invention will now be further explained with reference to embodiments. In
the corresponding drawings:

[0101] FIG. 1

[0102] shows a sketch of a non-woven material mechanically bonded by
needling;

[0103] FIG. 2

[0104] also shows a sketch of the non-woven material according to FIG. 1
after thermal bonding;

[0105] FIG. 2a

[0106] shows a cutout, also as a sketch, at a highly enlarged scale, of
area IIa of the thermally bonded non-woven material of FIG. 2.

[0107] FIG. 2b

[0108] shows a cutout, also in a sketch, at an even more enlarged scale,
of area IIa, shown in FIG. 2, of the thermally bonded non-woven material
of FIG. 2.

[0126] shows a schematic view of a reinforcement mesh arranged on the
bottom of barrier material

[0127] FIG. 12

[0128] shows a schematic view of a reinforcement mesh arranged on the
bottom of shoe-reinforcement material.

[0129] FIG. 13

[0130] shows a schematic view of a reinforcement mesh arranged on the
bottom of shoe-reinforcement material.

[0131] FIG. 14a

[0132] shows the shoe depicted in FIG. 13, but before a composite shoe
sole according to the invention is placed on a shaft bottom of the shoe.

[0133] FIG. 14b

[0134] Shows the shoe depicted in FIG. 13 provided with another example of
a composite sole according to the invention.

[0135] FIG. 14c shows the shoe depicted in FIG. 13 provided with another
example of a composite sole according to the invention,

[0136] FIG. 15

[0137] shows the composite shoe sole depicted in FIG. 14a, in a
perspective top view.

[0138] FIG. 16

[0139] shows the composite shoe sole depicted in FIG. 15, in an exploded
view of its individual components, in an oblique perspective view from
the top.

[0140] FIG. 17

[0141] shows the part of the composite shoe sole depicted in FIG. 16, in a
perspective oblique view from the bottom.

[0142] FIG. 18

[0143] shows a forefoot area and a midfoot area of the barrier unit
depicted in FIG. 18, in a perspective oblique view from the top, whereby
the reinforcement device parts and the shoe-reinforcement material parts
are shown separately from one another.

[0144] FIG. 19

[0145] shows a forefoot area and a midfoot area of the barrier unit
depicted in FIG. 17 in another embodiment.

[0146] FIG. 20

[0147] shows a forefoot area, in a perspective oblique view from the
bottom, a modification of the midfoot area of the barrier unit depicted
in FIG. 18, whereby only a middle area of this barrier unit part is
covered with shoe-reinforcement material and two side parts are formed
without passage openings.

[0148] FIG. 21

[0149] shows the barrier unit part depicted in FIG. 20, in a view in which
the corresponding reinforcement-device part and the corresponding
shoe-reinforcement-material part are shown separately from each other.

[0150] FIG. 22

[0151] shows a schematic sectional view in the forefoot area through a
shaft closed on the shaft-bottom side of a first embodiment with a
composite shoe sole not yet positioned on the shaft bottom.

[0152] FIG. 23

[0153] shows a schematic view of another example of the barrier unit with
a barrier material and a reinforcement bar during selected bonding with a
shaft bottom situated above it.

[0154] FIG. 24

[0155] shows a detail view of the shoe structure depicted in FIG. 22, with
a glued-on composite shoe sole.

[0156] FIG. 25

[0157] shows a detail view of the sole structure depicted in FIG. 22, with
a molded-on composite shoe sole.

[0158] FIG. 26

[0159] shows a shoe structure similar to that shown in FIG. 22, but with a
differently constructed shaft bottom, with a composite shoe sole still
separated from the shaft.

[0160] FIG. 27

[0161] shows a detail view of the shoe structure depicted in FIG. 26.

[0162] FIG. 28

[0163] shows a composite sole in another embodiment,

[0164] FIG. 29

[0165] shows a composite shoe sole in another embodiment,

[0166] An embodiment of a barrier material particularly suited for a
composite shoe sole according to the invention will first be explained
with reference to FIGS. 1 through 3. Explanations concerning embodiments
of a barrier unit according to the invention then follow with reference
to FIGS. 4 through 12. Embodiments of the footwear according to the
invention and composite shoe soles according to the invention will then
be explained by means of FIGS. 13 through 29.

[0167] The embodiment of the barrier material depicted in FIGS. 1 through
3 consists of a fiber composite 1 in the form of a thermally bonded and
thermally surface-bonded non-woven material. This fiber composite 1
consists of two fiber components 2, 3, which are each constructed with
polyester fibers. A first fiber component 2, which serves as a support
component of the fiber composite 1, then has a higher melting point than
that of the second fiber component 3, which serves as bonding component.
In order to guarantee temperature stability of the entire fiber composite
1 of at least 180° C., specifically in view of the fact that
footwear can be exposed to relatively high temperatures during its
production, for example, during molding-on of an outsole, in the
embodiment considered, polyester fibers with a melting point lying above
180° C. were used for both fiber components. There are various
variations of polyester polymers that have different melting points and
softening temperatures lying below them. In the embodiment of the barrier
material according to the invention being considered, a polyester polymer
with a melting point of about 230° C. is chosen for the first
component, whereas a polyester polymer with a melting point of about
200° C. is chosen for at least one fiber part of the second fiber
component 3. In one embodiment, in which the second fiber component has
two fiber parts in the form of a core-shell fiber structure, the core 4
consists of this fiber component of polyester with a softening
temperature of about 230° C. and the shell of this fiber component
consists of polyester with an adhesive softening temperature of about
200° C. (FIG. 2b). Such a fiber component with two fiber parts of
different melting points is also referred to as "bico" for short. This
concise term will be used subsequently.

[0168] In the embodiment considered, the fibers of the two fiber
components are each stable fibers with the above-mentioned special
properties. With respect to the total basis weight of the fiber composite
of about 400 g/m2, the weight fraction of the first fiber component
is about 50%. The weight fraction of the second fiber component is also
about 50% with respect to the basis weight of the fiber composite 1. The
fineness of the first fiber component is about 6.7 dtex, whereas the
second fiber component 3, designed as bico, has a higher fineness of 4.4
dtex.

[0169] To produce such barrier materials, the fiber components present as
staple fibers are first mixed. Several individual layers of this staple
fiber mixture are then placed one on top of another in the form of
several individual non-woven layers, until the basis weight sought for
the fiber composite 1 is reached, in which case a non-woven package is
obtained. This non-woven package has only very slight mechanical
stability and must therefore pass through a strengthening process.

[0170] Initially, mechanical strengthening of the non-woven package occurs
by needling by means of a needle technique in which needle bars arranged
in a needle matrix penetrate the non-woven package perpendicular to the
plane of extension of the non-woven package. Fibers of the non-woven
package are reoriented by this from their original position in the
non-woven package, so that balling of the fibers and a more stable
mechanical structure of the non-woven package occurs. A non-woven
material mechanically strengthened by such needling is schematically
shown in FIG. 1.

[0171] The thickness of the non-woven package compared to the initial
thickness of the unneedled non-woven package is already reduced by the
needling process. However, the structure obtained by needling is still
not permanently tenable, since it is a purely mechanical
three-dimensional "hooking" of stable fibers, which can be "unhooked"
again under stress.

[0172] In order to achieve permanent reinforcement, namely a stabilizing
property for use in footwear, the fiber composite 1 according to the
invention is treated further. Thermal energy and pressure are then used.
In this process, the advantageous composition of the fiber mixture is
utilized whereby a temperature is chosen for thermal bonding of the fiber
mixture such that it lies at least in the range of the adhesive softening
temperature of the shell 5 of the core-shell bico that melts at lower
melting point, in order to soften it into a viscous state, so that the
fiber parts of the first fiber component, which is situated in the
vicinity of the softened mass of the shell 5 of the corresponding bico,
can be partially incorporated into this viscous mass. Because of this,
the two fiber components are permanently bonded to each other without
changing the fundamental structure of the non-woven material. The
advantageous properties of this non-woven material can also be utilized,
especially its good water-vapor permeability, combined with a permanent
mechanical reinforcement property.

[0173] Such a thermally bonded non-woven material is shown schematically
in FIG. 2, whereby which a detailed view of a cutout at a highly enlarged
scale is shown in FIG. 2a, in which the glue bonding points between
individual fibers are shown by flat black spots, and FIG. 2b shows an
area of the cutout at an even larger scale.

[0174] In addition to thermal bonding of the non-woven material, thermal
surface compression can be performed on at least one surface of the
non-woven material by exposing this non-woven material surface
simultaneously to the effects of pressure and temperature, for example,
by means of heating compression plates or compression rollers. The result
is even stronger bonding than in the remaining volume of the non-woven
material and smoothing of the thermally compressed surface.

[0175] A non-woven material initially mechanically bonded by needling,
then thermally bonded, and finally thermally surface compressed on one of
its surfaces, is shown schematically in FIG. 3.

[0176] In an accompanying comparison table, different materials, including
barrier materials according to the invention, are compared with respect
to some parameters. Split sole leather, two only needle-bonded non-woven
materials, a needle-bonded and thermally bonded non-woven material, and
finally a needle-bonded, thermally bonded and thermally
surface-compressed non-woven material are then considered, in which these
materials, in the comparison table, for simplicity of the subsequent
treatment of the comparison table, are assigned material numbers 1 to 5.

[0177] The longitudinal-elongation values and the transverse-elongation
values show percentage by which the corresponding material expands when
acted upon with a stretching force of 50 N, 100 N, or 150 N. The lower
this longitudinal and transverse elongation, the more stable the material
is and the better suited it is as a barrier material. If the
corresponding material is used as a barrier material to protect the
membrane against penetration of foreign objects, such as pebbles,
puncture resistance is important. The abrasion strength, called abrasion
in the comparison table, is also significant for use of the corresponding
material in a composite shoe sole.

[0178] It can be deduced from the comparison table that split sole leather
does have high tensile strength, relatively good resistance to stretching
forces, and high puncture resistance, but it has only moderate abrasion
strength during wet tests, especially quite moderate water-vapor
permeability.

[0179] The non-woven materials that are only needle-bonded (material 2 and
material 3) are relatively light and have high water-vapor permeability
in comparison with leather, but they have relatively low stretching
resistance in terms of stretching forces, possess only limited puncture
resistance, and have only moderate abrasion strength.

[0180] The needle-bonded and thermally bonded non-woven material (material
4), has a higher basis weight than materials 2 and 3 at a lower
thickness, and is therefore more compact. The water-vapor permeability of
material 4 is higher than that of material 2 and about as high as that of
material 3, but almost three times as high as that of leather according
to material 1. The longitudinal and transverse elongation resistances of
material 4 are much higher than those of the non-woven materials 2 and 3,
which are only needle-bonded, and the longitudinal and transverse loads
to break are also much higher than for materials 2 and 3. The puncture
resistance and abrasion strength in material 4 are also much higher than
in materials 2 and 3.

[0181] Material 5, i.e., a needle-bonded and thermally bonded non-woven
material thermally compressed on one of its surfaces, has a lower
thickness than material 4, because of thermal surface compression with
the same basis weight, and therefore takes up less room in a composite
shoe sole. The water-vapor permeability of the material 5 still lies
above that of material 4. With respect to elongation resistance, material
5 is also superior to material 4, since it shows no elongation at applied
longitudinal and transverse elongation forces of 50 N to 150 N. The
tensile strength is higher with respect to longitudinal loading and lower
with respect to transverse loading than that of material 4. The puncture
resistance is somewhat below that of material 4, which is caused by the
more limited thickness of material 5. A special superiority compared to
all materials 1 to 4 is exhibited by material 5 with respect to abrasion
strength.

[0182] The comparison table therefore shows that when high water-vapor
permeability, high shape stability, and therefore a reinforcement effect
and high abrasion resistance are important in the shoe-reinforcement
material, material 4 and especially material 5 are quite particularly
suited.

[0183] In the case of material 5, in one embodiment of the invention, the
needle-bonded and thermally bonded non-woven material, which also has
very good reinforcement, is then subjected to hydrophobic finishing, for
example, by a dipping process in a liquid that causes hydrophobization,
in order to minimize the suction effects of the non-woven material. After
the hydrophobization bath, the non-woven material is dried under the
influence of heat, during which the hydrophobic property of the applied
finishing is further improved. After the drying process, the non-woven
material passes through sizing rollers, in which a final thickness of
say, 1.5 mm is set.

[0184] In order to achieve a particularly smooth surface, the non-woven
material is then exposed to temperature and pressure again, in order to
melt the fiber parts, namely the second fiber component in the shell of
the bico on the surface of the non-woven and to press it against a very
smooth surface by means of pressure applied simultaneously. This occurs
either with appropriate calendering devices or by means of a heated
compression die, whereby a separation material layer can be introduced
between the non-woven and the heated pressure plate, which can be
silicone paper or Teflon, for example. Surface smoothing by thermal
surface compression is performed on only one area of both surfaces of the
non-woven material, depending on the desired properties of the barrier
material.

[0185] As already shown by the comparison table, the non-woven material so
produced has high stability against a tearing load and possesses good
puncture resistance, which is important when the material is used as a
barrier material to protect a membrane.

[0186] The material 5 just described represents a first embodiment example
of the barrier material used according to the invention, in which both
fiber components consist of polyester, both fiber components have a
weight percentage of 50% in the total fiber composite, and the second
fiber component is a polyester core-shell fiber of the bico type.

[0187] Additional embodiment examples of the barrier material used
according to the invention will now be considered briefly:

EMBODIMENT EXAMPLE 2

[0188] A shoe-reinforcement material in which both fiber components
consist of polyester and have a weight percentage of 50% each in the
total fiber composite, and the second fiber component is a bico of
polyester of the side-by-side type.

[0189] Except for the special bico structure, the shoe-reinforcement
material according to embodiment example 2 is produced in the same way
and has the same properties as the shoe-reinforcement material according
to embodiment example 1 with a bico fiber of the core-shell type.

EMBODIMENT EXAMPLE 3

[0190] A shoe reinforcement material, in which both fiber components each
have a weight percentage of 50% and the first fiber component 2 is a
polyester and the second fiber 3 component is a polypropylene.

[0191] In this embodiment example, no bico is used, but a single-component
fiber is used instead as second fiber component. For production of the
fiber composite, only two fiber components with different melting points
are chosen. In this case, the polyester fiber (with a melting point of
about 230° C.) with a weight fraction of 50% represents the
support component, whereas the polypropylene fiber, also with a weight
fraction of 50%, has a lower melting point of about 130° C. and
therefore represents the gluable bonding component. The production
process otherwise runs as in embodiment example 1. In comparison with
embodiment example 2, the non-woven according to embodiment example 3 has
lower heat stability, but it can also be produced using lower
temperatures.

EMBODIMENT EXAMPLE 4

[0192] A shoe-reinforcement material with a percentage of 80% polyester as
the first fiber component 2 and a polyester core-shell bico as the second
fiber component 3.

[0193] In this embodiment example, production again occurs as in
embodiment example 1, the only difference being that the percentage of
second fiber component forming the bonding component is changed. Its
weight percentage is now only 20% compared to 80% of the weight formed by
the first fiber component 2, which has a higher melting point. Because of
the proportionate reduction in bonding component, the stabilizing effect
of the obtained shoe-reinforcement material is reduced. This can be
advantageous when a non-woven material with high mechanical lifetime
combined with increased flexibility is required. The temperature
resistance of this non-woven material corresponds to that of the first
embodiment example.

[0194] Some embodiment examples of a composite shoe sole and a barrier
unit and details of it are now considered by means of FIGS. 4 through 12.

[0195] FIG. 4 shows a partial cross-section through a composite shoe sole
21 with an underlying outsole 23 and a shoe-reinforcement device 25
situated above it, before this composite shoe sole 21 is provided with a
barrier material. The outsole 23 and the shoe-reinforcement device 25
each have openings 27 and 29, which together form a passage 31 through
the total thickness of the composite shoe sole 21. The passage 31 is
therefore formed by the intersection surface of the two passage openings
27, 29. To complete this composite shoe sole 21, barrier material 33 (not
shown in FIG. 4) is placed in the passage opening 29 or arranged above
it.

[0196] FIG. 5 shows an example of a barrier unit 35 with a piece of
barrier material 33 held by a reinforcement device 25.

[0197] In one embodiment, the reinforcement device is molded around the
peripheral area of the piece of barrier material 33 or molded onto it, so
that the material of the reinforcement device 25 penetrates into the
fiber structure of the barrier material 33 and is cured there and forms a
solid composite.

[0198] As a material for molding the reinforcement device or molding onto
the reinforcement device, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is suitable,
which leads to very good enclosure of the barrier material, and is well
bonded to it.

[0199] In another embodiment, the shoe-reinforcement material 33 is glued
to the reinforcement device 25. The reinforcement device 25 preferably
has a reinforcement frame 147 that stabilizes at least the composite shoe
sole 21.

[0200] FIG. 6 shows a barrier unit 35 in which a piece of barrier material
33 is enclosed by a reinforcement device 25 in the sense that the edge
area of the barrier material 33 is not only surrounded by the
reinforcement device 25, but also held on both surfaces.

[0201] FIG. 7 shows a barrier unit 35 in which a piece of stabilizing
material 33 is held by a reinforcement device 25. The shoe-reinforcement
material 33 is provided on at least on one surface with at least one
reinforcement bar, which at least partially bridges the area of the
opening. The at least one reinforcement bar 37 is preferably arranged on
a bottom facing the outsole.

[0202] FIG. 8 shows a barrier unit 35 in which a piece of
shoe-reinforcement material 33 is provided with a reinforcement device 25
in the form of at least one reinforcement bar 37. The reinforcement bar
37 is arranged on at least one surface of the shoe-reinforcement material
33, preferably on the surface directed downward toward the outsole 23.

[0203] FIG. 9 shows a barrier unit 35 in which a piece of
shoe-reinforcement material 33 is provided with a reinforcement device
25, so that the shoe-reinforcement material 33 is applied to at least one
surface of the reinforcement device 25. The shoe-reinforcement material
33 then covers the passage opening 29.

[0204] FIG. 10 shows a composite shoe sole 21 according to FIG. 4 that has
a barrier unit 35 according to FIG. 5 above the outsole 23.

[0205] For all the above described embodiments according to FIGS. 4
through 10, it is true that the bonding material during molding on,
molding around, or gluing between the barrier material 33 and the
reinforcement device 25 not only adheres to the surfaces being joined,
but also penetrates into the fiber structure and cures there. The fiber
structure is therefore additionally strengthened in its joining area.

[0206] Two embodiments of reinforcement-bar patterns of reinforcement bars
37 applied to a surface of the barrier material 33 are shown in FIGS. 11
and 12. Whereas in the case of FIG. 11, three individual bars 37a, 37b,
and 37c are arranged in a T-shaped mutual arrangement on a circular
surface 43, for example, the bottom of barrier material 33, which
corresponds to a through hole of the composite shoe sole 21, for example,
by gluing onto the bottom of the barrier material, in the case of FIG.
12, a reinforcement bar device in the form of a reinforcement mesh 37d is
provided.

[0207] Embodiments of shoes designed according to the invention will now
be explained with reference to FIGS. 13 through 29, whereby their
individual components will also be considered, especially in connection
with the corresponding composite shoe sole 21.

[0208] FIG. 13 shows, in a perspective oblique view from the bottom, an
embodiment example of a shoe 101 according to the invention with a shaft
103 and a composite shoe sole 105 according to the invention. The shoe
101 has a forefoot area 107, a midfoot area 109, a heel area 111, and a
foot-insertion opening 113. The composite shoe sole 105 has a multipart
outsole 117 on its bottom, which has an outsole part 117a in the heel
area, an outsole part 117b in the area of the ball of the foot, and an
outsole part 117c in the toe area of the composite shoe sole 105. These
outsole parts 117 are attached to the bottom of a reinforcement device
119 that has a heel area 119a, a midfoot area 119b, and a forefoot area
119c. The composite shoe sole 105 will be further explained in detail
with reference to the following diagrams.

[0209] Additional components of the composite shoe sole 105 can be damping
sole parts 121a and 121b, which are applied in the heel area 111 and in
the forefoot area 107 on the top of the reinforcement device 119. The
outsole 117 and the reinforcement device 119 have passage openings that
form through holes through the composite shoe sole. These through holes
are covered by barrier materials 33a-33d in a water-vapor-permeable
manner.

[0210] FIG. 14a shows the shoe 101 according to FIG. 13 in a manufacturing
stage in which the shaft 103 and the composite shoe sole 105 are still
separate from each other. The shaft 103 is provided on its lower end area
on the sole side with a shaft bottom 221 that has a waterproof,
water-vapor-permeable shaft-bottom functional layer, which can be a
waterproof, water-vapor-permeable membrane. The functional layer is
preferably a component of a multilayer functional-layer laminate that has
at least one protective layer, for example, a textile backing, as
processing protection, in addition to the functional layer. The shaft
bottom 115 can also be provided with a shaft-mounting sole. However,
there is also the possibility of assigning the function of shaft-mounting
sole to the functional-layer laminate. The composite shoe sole also has
the through holes 31 already mentioned in FIG. 8, which are covered with
barrier material parts 33a-33d. The bars 37 are shown within the
peripheral edge of the corresponding through holes. In other embodiments,
three through holes or two through holes or one through hole can be
provided. In another embodiment, more than four through holes are
provided. The composite shoe sole 105 can be attached to the shaft end on
the sole side either by molding on or gluing, in order to produce the
state according to FIG. 12. For a detailed explanation of the functional
layer and its laminate and the connection with the mounting sole, the
description and FIGS. 22 through 27 are referred to.

[0211] FIG. 14b shows the same shoe structure as in FIG. 14a, with the
difference that the shoe in FIG. 13a has four through holes 31, whereas
the shoe according to FIG. 14b is equipped with two through holes 31. It
can be seen here that the bars 37 are arranged within the peripheral edge
of the corresponding through hole 31 and do not form a limitation of the
through hole 31. The area of a through hole is determined minus the total
area of the bars bridging it, since this bar surface blocks water-vapor
transport.

[0212] FIG. 14c also shows the same shoe structure as in FIG. 14a, in
which the four through holes 31 in this embodiment are free of
reinforcement bars 37. The through holes 31 can then be closed, as in
FIGS. 14a and 14b, with one or more pieces of reinforcement material 33.

[0213] FIG. 15 shows a composite shoe sole 105 with a top lying away from
the outsole 117. The reinforcement device 119 is covered in its middle
area 119b and its forefoot area 119c with several pieces 33a, 33b, 33c,
and 33d of the barrier material 33 with which through holes of the
composite shoe sole 105 not visible in FIG. 15 are covered. In the heel
area and in the forefoot area of the composite shoe sole 105, a damping
sole part 121a and 121b is applied to the top of the reinforcement device
119, essentially over the entire surface in the heel area and with
recesses in the forefoot area wherever the barrier material parts 33b,
33c and 33d are situated.

[0214] Since the outsole parts of the outsole 117, the reinforcement
device 119, and the damping sole parts 121a and 121b have different
functions within the composite shoe sole, they are appropriately also
constructed with different materials. The outsole parts that are supposed
to have good abrasion resistance, consist, for example, of a
thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or rubber. "Thermoplastic polyurethane"
is the term for a number of different polyurethanes that can have
different properties. For an outsole, a thermoplastic polyurethane can be
chosen with high stability and slip resistance. The damping sole parts
121a and 121b, which are supposed to produce shock absorption during
walking movements of the user of the shoe, consist of correspondingly
elastically compliant material, for example, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)
or polyurethane (PU). The reinforcement device 119, which serves as a
holder for the non-coherent outsole parts 117a, 117b, 117c and for the
also non-coherent damping sole parts 121a, 121b and serves as a
reinforcement element for the entire composite shoe sole 105, and is
supposed to have corresponding elastic rigidity, consists of at least one
thermoplastic material. Examples of appropriate thermoplastics are
polyethylene, polyamide, polyamide (PA), polyester (PET), polyethylene
(PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinylchloride (PVC). Other appropriate
materials are rubber, thermoplastic rubber (TR), and polyurethane (PU).
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is also suitable.

[0215] The composite shoe sole depicted in FIG. 15 is shown in an exploded
view in FIG. 16, i.e., in a view in which the individual parts of the
composite shoe sole 105 are shown separately from one another, except for
the shoe-reinforcement material parts 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d, which are
already shown arranged on the reinforcement device parts 119b and 119c.
In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 16, the reinforcement device 119 has
its parts 119a, 119b, and 119c as initially separate parts that are
joined to one another to reinforcement device 119 during assembly of the
composite shoe sole 105, which can occur by welding or gluing of the
three reinforcement-device parts to one another. As will still be
explained in conjunction with FIG. 19, openings are situated beneath the
barrier material parts, which, together with openings 123a, 123b, and
123c in the outsole parts 117a, 117b, and 117c, form through holes 30 of
the type already explained in connection with FIG. 4, and whereby barrier
material parts 33a-33d are covered in a water-vapor-permeable manner. A
passage opening 125 in the heel part 119a of the reinforcement device 119
is not closed with barrier material 33, but with the full-surface damping
sole part 121a. A better damping effect on the composite shoe sole 105 in
the heel area of the shoe is thereby achieved, where sweat moisture
removal, under some circumstances, can be less required, since foot sweat
mostly forms in the forefoot and midfoot area, but not in the heel area.

[0216] The damping sole part 121b is provided with passage openings 127a,
127b, and 127c, dimensioned so that the shoe-reinforcement material parts
33b, 33c, 33d can be accommodated within an enclosing limitation edge
129a, 129b, or 129c of the reinforcement device part 119c in the passage
openings 127a, 127b, and 127c.

[0217] In another embodiment, no damping sole part 121 is proposed. In
this case, the parts of the reinforcement device 119a, 119b, and 119c
have a flat surface without a limitation edge 129a, 129b, 129c, so that
the shoe-reinforcement material 33 is positioned flush with the surface
of the reinforcement device in its openings. The composite sole is only
formed by the barrier unit, constructed from the shoe-reinforcement unit
33 and the reinforcement device 119, and the outsole.

[0218] The composite shoe-sole parts 105 shown in FIG. 16 are shown
obliquely in FIG. 17 in an arrangement separate from one another, but in
an oblique view from the bottom. It can be seen that the outsole parts
117a to 117c are provided in the usual manner with an outsole profile, in
order to reduce the danger of slipping. The bottoms of the
reinforcement-device parts 119a and 119e on their bottom also have
several knob-like protrusions 131, which serve to accommodate
complementary recesses to be seen in FIG. 16 in the tops of outsole parts
117a, 117b, and 117c for positionally correct joining of the outsole
parts 117a to 117c to the corresponding reinforcement-device parts 119a
and 119c. Openings 135a, 135b, 135c, and 135d are also visible in the
reinforcement-device parts 119b and 119d in FIG. 17, which are covered
with the corresponding shoe-reinforcement material 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d
in a water-vapor-permeable manner, so that the through holes 31 (FIG. 4)
of the composite shoe sole 105 are closed in a water-vapor-permeable
manner. In one embodiment, the barrier materials are arranged in such a
way that their smooth surfaces are directed toward the outsole. The
openings 135a to 135d are each bridged with a reinforcement mesh 137a,
137b, 137c, and 137e, which form a reinforcement structure in the area of
the corresponding opening of the reinforcement device 119. These
reinforcement meshes 137a-137e also act against the penetration of larger
foreign objects up to the shoe-reinforcement material 33 or even farther,
which could be felt as unpleasant by the user of the shoe.

[0219] In another embodiment, the barrier unit is additionally formed as
an outsole with an outsole profile.

[0220] Connection elements 139 provided on the axial ends of the
reinforcement part 119b on the midfoot side, must also be mentioned,
which, during assembly of the reinforcement device 119 from the three
reinforcement device parts 119a to 119c, can lie overlapping on the upper
side of the reinforcement device parts 119a and 119c facing away from the
outsole application side, in order to be attached there, for example, by
welding or gluing.

[0221] FIG. 18 shows the two reinforcement device parts 119a and 119b, in
an enlarged view compared to FIG. 17, before being attached to one
another, whereby the openings 135b to 135d of the reinforcement device
part 119c on the forefoot side and the reinforcement mesh structure
situated in it can be seen particularly apparent. It is also clear that
the middle reinforcement device part 119b shows a raised frame and mesh
parts on the longitudinal sides. The shoe-reinforcement material piece
33a to be placed on the reinforcement device part 119b is provided on its
long sides with correspondingly raised side wings 141. Through these
raised parts, both the shoe-reinforcement part 119b and the
barrier-material piece 33a, an adjustment to the shape of the lateral
midfoot flanks is achieved. The remaining shoe-reinforcement material
parts 33b to 33d are essentially flat, corresponding to the essentially
flat design of the reinforcement device part 119c on the forefoot side.

[0222] FIG. 19 shows another embodiment of the forefoot area 107 and the
midfoot area 109 according to FIG. 17. Here, the reinforcement device 119
is formed without reinforcement bars 37. The area of the reinforcement
material 33 is then closed off flatly with the surface of the
reinforcement device 119. The openings 135a-d are each equipped with
continuous support protrusions 150 to accommodate the reinforcement
material 33 so that it can be fit into the openings 135a-d.

[0223] It should be added in general here that the at least one opening
135a-135d of the reinforcement device 119b and 119c is bounded by the
frame 147 of the reinforcement device 119 and not by the bars 37 present
in the openings 135a-135d. The limitation edges 129a-129c, depicted in
FIG. 17 in this embodiment, represent part of the corresponding frame
147.

[0224] It is also possible, instead of several shoe-reinforcement material
parts 33b, 33c, 33d, to use a one-piece shoe-reinforcement material part.
The mounting protrusions 150 and/or limitation edges 129a-129c must be
configured accordingly.

[0225] Another modification of the barrier-unit part provided for the
midfoot area with the reinforcement device part 119b and the
shoe-reinforcement material part 33a is shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, in FIG.
20 in the finished mounted state and in FIG. 21 while these two parts are
still separate from each other. In contrast to the embodiment in FIGS. 18
and 19, in the modification of FIGS. 21 and 20, the reinforcement part
119b provided for the midfoot area is provided in the middle area only
with an opening and a reinforcement mesh 137a situated in it, whereas the
two wing parts 143 on the long sides of the reinforcement device part
119b are designed to be continuous, i.e., have no opening, but are only
provided on their bottom with reinforcement ribs 145. The
shoe-reinforcement material piece 33a provided for this barrier-unit part
is accordingly narrower than in the embodiments of FIGS. 18 to 19,
because it does not require the side wings 141 according to FIGS. 18 and
19.

[0226] While embodiments of the composite shoe sole according to the
invention 105 were explained with reference to FIGS. 15 through 21,
embodiments in details of footwear according to the invention will now be
explained with reference to FIGS. 22 through 29, the footwear being
constructed with the composite shoe sole according to the invention.
FIGS. 22, 24, and 25 show a embodiment of the footwear according to the
invention in which the shaft bottom has a shaft-mounting sole and also a
functional-layer laminate, while FIGS. 26 and 27 show a embodiment of
footwear according to the invention in which a shaft-bottom functional
layer laminate 237 simultaneously assumes the function of shaft-mounting
sole 233. FIG. 28 shows another embodiment of the composite shoe sole
105.

[0227] In the two embodiments depicted in FIGS. 22 through 27, the shoe
101, in agreement with FIGS. 13 and 14a-c, has a shaft 103, which has an
outer material layer 211 situated on the outside, a liner layer 213
situated on the inside, and a waterproof, water-vapor-permeable shaft
functional layer 215 situated in between, for example, in the form of a
membrane. The shaft functional layer 215 can be present in connection
with the lining layer 213 as a two-ply laminate or as a three-ply
laminate, whereby the shaft functional layer 215 is embedded between the
liner layer 213 and a textile backing 214. The upper shaft end 217,
depending on whether the sectional plane of the cross-sectional view
depicted in FIGS. 22 and 26 lies in the forefoot area or midfoot area, is
closed or open with respect to the foot-insertion opening 113 (FIG. 13).
On the shaft-end area 219 on the sole side, the shaft 103 is provided
with a shaft bottom 221, with which the lower end of the shaft 103 on the
sole side is closed. The shaft bottom 221 has a shaft-mounting sole 223
that is connected to the shaft-end area 219 on the sole side, which
occurs in the embodiments according to FIGS. 22 through 27 by means of a
Strobel seam.

[0228] In the case of the embodiments of FIGS. 22, 24, and 25, in addition
to the shaft-mounting sole 233, a shaft-bottom functional layer laminate
237 is provided that is arranged beneath the shaft-mounting sole 233 and
extends beyond the periphery of the shaft-mounting sole 233 into the
shaft-end area 219 on the sole side. The shaft-bottom functional layer
laminate 237 can be a three-ply laminate in which the shaft bottom
functional layer 248 is embedded between a textile backing and another
textile layer. It is also possible to provide the shaft-bottom functional
layer 247 only with the textile backing. The outer material layer 211 in
the shaft end area 219 on the sole side is shorter than the shaft
functional layer 215, so that a protrusion of the shaft functional layer
215 with respect to the outer material layer 211 is created there and
exposes the outer surface of the shaft functional layer 215. Mostly for
mechanical tension relief of the protrusion of the shaft functional layer
215, a mesh band 241 or another material that can be penetrated with
sealant is arranged between the end 238 of the outer material layer 211
on the sole side and the end 239 of the shaft functional layer 215 on the
sole side, the long side of which, facing away from the Strobel seam 237,
is joined by means of a first seam 243 to the end 238 of the outer
material layer 211 on the sole side, but not to the shaft functional
layer 215, and whose long side, facing the Strobel seam 235, is joined by
means of Strobel seam 235 to the end 239 of the shaft functional layer
215 on the sole side and to the shaft-mounting sole 233. The mesh band
241 preferably consists of a monofilament material, so that it has no
water conductivity. The mesh band is preferably used for molded-on soles.
If the composite sole is attached to the shaft by means of glue instead
of the mesh band, the end 238 of the outer material layer 211 on the sole
side can be attached by means of glue 249 to the lasting-shaft
functional-layer laminate (FIG. 24). In the peripheral area 245, in which
the shaft bottom functional layer laminate 237 protrudes beyond the
periphery of the shaft mounting sole 233, a sealing material 248 is
arranged between the shaft-bottom functional layer 237 and the end 239 of
the shaft functional layer 215 on the sole side, by means of which a
waterproof connection is produced between the end 239 of the shaft
functional layer 215 on the sole side and the peripheral layer 245 of the
shaft-bottom functional-layer laminate 237, this seal acting through the
mesh band 241. The mesh band solution depicted in FIGS. 22, and 25
through 27 serves to prevent water that runs down or creeps down on the
outer material layer 211 from reaching the Strobel seam 235 and advancing
into the shoe interior from there. This is prevented by the fact that the
end 238 of the outer material layer 211 on the sole side ends at a
spacing from the end 239 of the shaft functional layer 215 on the sole
side, which is bridged with the non-water-conducting mesh band 241, and
the sealing material 248 is provided in the area of the protrusion of the
shaft functional layer 215. The mesh band solution is known from document
EP 0,298,360 B1.

[0229] Instead of the mesh band solution, all joining technologies used in
the shoe industry for preferably waterproof joining of a shaft to the
shaft bottom can be used. The depicted mesh band solution in FIGS. 22,
25-27 and the lasted solution in FIG. 24 are examples of embodiments.

[0230] The shaft structure depicted in FIG. 26 agrees with the shaft
structure shown in FIG. 22, with the exception that no separate shaft
mounting sole is provided there, but the shaft bottom functional layer
laminate 237 simultaneously assumes the function of a shaft mounting sole
233. According to it, the periphery of the shaft bottom functional layer
laminate 237 of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 26 is connected via
Strobel seam 235 to the end 239 on the sole side of the shaft functional
layer 215 and the sealing material 248 is applied in the area of the
Strobel seam 235, so that the transition between the end 239 on the sole
side of the shaft functional layer 215 and the peripheral area of the
shaft-bottom functional layer laminate 237 is sealed completely,
including the Strobel seam 235.

[0231] In both embodiments of FIGS. 22 and 26, an identically constructed
composite shoe sole 105 can be used, as shown in these two diagrams.
Since sectional views of shoes 101 are shown in the forefoot area in
FIGS. 22 and 26, these diagrams are a sectional view of the forefoot area
of the composite shoe sole 105, i.e., a sectional view along an
intersection line running across the reinforcement unit part 119c
intended for the forefoot area, with barrier material piece 33c inserted
in its openings 135c.

[0232] The sectional view of the composite shoe sole 105 accordingly shows
the reinforcement device part 119c with its opening 135c, a bar of the
corresponding reinforcement mesh 137c bridging this opening, the outward
protruding frame 129b, the barrier material piece 33c inserted into the
frame 129b, the damping sole part 121b on the top side of the
reinforcement device part 119c, and the outsole part 117b on the bottom
of the reinforcement device part 119c. To this extent, the two
embodiments of FIGS. 22 and 26 correspond.

[0233] FIG. 23 shows an example of a barrier unit 35 in which a piece of
shoe-reinforcement material 33 is provided on the bottom with at least
one reinforcement bar 37. On the surface area of the shoe-reinforcement
material 33 opposite the reinforcement bar 37, an adhesive 39 is applied,
by means of which the shoe-reinforcement material 33 is joined to the
waterproof, water-vapor-permeable shaft bottom 221, which is situated
above the barrier unit 35 outside the composite shoe sole. The glue 39 is
applied in such a way that the shaft bottom 221 is joined to the
shoe-reinforcement material 33 wherever no material of the reinforcement
bar 37 is situated on the bottom of the shoe-reinforcement material 33.
In this way, it is ensured that the water-vapor-permeability function of
the shaft bottom 115 is only interfered with by glue 39 where the
shoe-reinforcement material 33 cannot permit any water-vapor transport
anyway, because of the arrangement of the reinforcement bar 37.

[0234] Whereas the corresponding composite shoe sole 105 in FIGS. 22 and
26 is still separated from the corresponding shaft 103, FIGS. 24, 25, and
27 show these two embodiments with the composite shoe sole 105 applied to
the shaft bottom, in an enlarged view and as a cutout. In these enlarged
views, the shaft-bottom functional layer 247 of the shaft-bottom
functional-layer laminate 237, in all embodiments, is preferably a
microporous functional layer, for example, made of expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). As already mentioned above, however,
various types of functional layer materials can also be used.

[0235] In these enlarged cutout views of FIGS. 24, 25, and 27, the
waterproof connection between the overlapping opposite ends of the shaft
functional layer 215 and the shaft-bottom functional layer 247 created
with the sealing material 248 can be seen particularly well. In addition,
the inclusion of a mesh-band longitudinal side in the Strobel seam 235
can also be seen more clearly in FIGS. 25 and 27 than in FIGS. 22 and 26.

[0236] FIG. 24 shows an embodiment, in which the composite sole 105
according to the invention is attached to the shaft bottom by means of
attaching glue 250. The shaft functional-layer laminate 216 is a
three-ply composite with a textile layer 214, a shaft functional layer
215, and a lining layer 213. The end 238 of the outer material layer 211
on the sole side is attached with lasting glue 249 to the shaft
functional-layer laminate 216.

[0237] The attaching glue 250 is applied superficially to the surface of
the composite sole, except for the through holes 135 and the
shoe-reinforcement material 33 arranged in the area of the through holes
135. During attachment of the composite sole to shaft bottom 221, the
attaching glue 250 penetrates up to and partially into the shaft
functional-layer laminate 216 and up to and partially into the edge areas
of the shaft-bottom functional-layer laminate 237.

[0238] FIG. 25 is a view of the shaft structure according to FIG. 22 with
a molded-on composite shoe sole. The three-ply shaft-bottom functional
layer laminate 237 is then attached to the shaft-mounting sole 233, so
that the textile backing 246 faces the composite sole. This is
advantageous, because the sole molding material 260 penetrates more
easily into the thin textile backing and can be anchored there and a firm
connection to the shaft bottom functional layer 237 is created.

[0239] The barrier unit with the at least one opening 135 in the at least
one piece of barrier material 33 is present as a prefabricated unit and
is inserted into the injection mold before the molding process. The
sole-molding material 260 is molded onto the shaft bottom accordingly,
advancing up to the shaft functional-layer laminate 216 through the mesh
band 241.

[0240] FIG. 27 shows an enlarged and sectional view of FIG. 26. The sole
composite 105 shows an additional embodiment of the barrier unit
according to the invention. The shaft-reinforcement device 119c forms a
part of the composite sole 105 and does not extend here to the outer
periphery of the composite sole 105. A piece of shoe-reinforcement
material 33c is applied over the opening 135, so that the material 33c
lies on the peripheral continuous flat limitation edge 130 of opening
135. The composite sole 105 can be attached to the shaft bottom 221 with
attaching glue 250 or molded on with sole-molding material 260.

[0241] FIG. 27 also clearly shows that in the embodiment in which the
shaft-bottom functional-layer laminate 237 assumes the function of a
shaft-mounting sole 233, the laminate comes to lie directly above the
opposite top of the shoe-reinforcement material piece 33c, which is
particularly advantageous. In this case, an air cushion cannot form
between the shaft bottom functional-layer laminate 237 and the barrier
shoe-reinforcement piece 33c, which might adversely affect water-vapor
removal, and the shoe-reinforcement material piece 33c, especially the
shaft-bottom functional layer 237, are situated particularly tight
against the foot sole of the user of such a shoe, which improves
water-vapor removal, which is also determined by the temperature gradient
existing between the shoe interior and the shoe exterior.

[0242] To produce the footwear according to the invention, the composite
shoe sole 105 and the shaft 103 are prepared, whereby which the lower
area of the shaft on the sole side can still remain open. The shaft 103
is then provided on its shaft end area 219 on the sole side with a shaft
bottom 221, which is formed either by the shaft-bottom functional-layer
laminate 237 or by such a shaft-bottom functional-layer laminate 237 and
a separate shaft-mounting sole 233. As an alternative, a shaft can be
prepared that is provided from the outset on its shaft-end area 219 on
the sole side with a shaft-bottom functional layer laminate 237. The
composite shoe sole 105 is then attached to the shaft end 219 on the sole
side, which can occur either by gluing of the composite shoe sole 105 to
the lower shaft end by means of an adhesive 250, or by the fact that a
composite shoe sole 105 is molded onto the bottom of the shaft. The
connection between the lower shaft end and the composite shoe sole 105
occurs in such a way that the shaft-bottom functional layer 239 remains
unconnected to the shoe-reinforcement material 33 of the shaft-bottom
composite 221 at least in the area of the through holes of the composite
shoe sole 105. Because of this, the capability of the shaft-bottom
functional layer 239 with respect to water-vapor permeability is fully
retained in the area of the through holes 31, without being adversely
affected by glue spots or other obstacles for the transport of water
vapor.

[0243] FIG. 28 is a view of another embodiment of the composite sole
according to the invention. The perspective view shows several openings
135 in the shoe-reinforcement device 119 that are arranged from the toe
area to the heel area of the composite sole. The reinforcement material
33 is therefore also present in the heel area. The outsole is formed by
the outsole parts 117.

[0244] FIG. 29 is a view of another embodiment of the composite sole
according to the invention in a cross-sectional view. The composite sole
105 of this embodiment is quite similar to the composite sole depicted in
FIG. 26. The composite sole 105 according to FIG. 29 has an outsole,
whereby a cross-section through the ball of the foot area of the
composite sole 105 and thereby a cross-section through the corresponding
outsole part 117b is shown in this diagram. However, the disclosure
according to FIG. 29 also applies to the other areas of the composite
sole 105, i.e., to its midfoot part and heel part. The outsole part 117b
has a tread 153 that touches the floor during walking. The sectional view
of the composite sole 105 of FIG. 27 shows the reinforcement-device part
119c with its opening 135c, its upward protruding limitation edge 129b,
the shoe-reinforcement material piece 33c inserted into the limitation
edge 129b, the damping sole part 121b on the upper side of the
reinforcement-device part 119c, and the outsole part 117b on the bottom
of the reinforcement part 119c. A support element 151 is applied to the
bottom of the shoe-reinforcement material piece 133c. This extends from
the side of the shoe-reinforcement material 33 facing the tread to the
level of tread 153, so that the shoe-reinforcement material 33 during
walking is supported on the floor by the support element 151. This means
that a lower free end of the support element 151 in FIG. 29 touches this
surface when the shoe provided with this composite sole stands on a
surface. Through this support by support element 151, during walking on
such a surface, the shoe-reinforcement material piece 33c is held
essentially in the position depicted in FIG. 29, so that it is prevented
from bending under the load of the user of the shoe. Several support
elements 151 can be arranged in opening 135c, in order to increase the
support effect for the shoe-reinforcement material piece 33c and make its
surface area more uniform.

[0245] The support function can also be obtained by the fact that the
reinforcement bar 137 depicted in FIG. 26 is simultaneously formed as
support element 151 by allowing the reinforcement bar 137c not to end at
a spacing from the bottom of the outsole part 117b, which serves as a
tread, but extending it to the level of this bottom. The reinforcement
bar 137c is then given the dual function of reinforcement and support of
the shoe-reinforcement material piece 33c. For example, the reinforcement
bars 33c depicted in FIG. 10 or the reinforcement mesh 37d depicted in
FIG. 11 can be formed fully or partially as support elements 151.

[0246] With the sole structure according to the invention, high
water-vapor-permeability is achieved, because, on the one hand,
large-surface through holes in the composite shoe sole 105 are provided
and these are closed with material of high water-vapor permeability, and
because, at least in the area of the through holes 31, there are no
connections between the water-vapor-permeable shoe-reinforcement material
33 and the shaft-bottom functional layer 247 that prevent water-vapor
exchange, and such a connection is at most present in the areas outside
the through holes 31 of the composite shoe sole 105 that do not actively
participate in water-vapor exchange, such as the edge areas of the
composite shoe sole 105. In the structure according to the invention, the
shaft-bottom functional layer 247 is also tightly arranged in the foot,
which leads to accelerated water-vapor removal.

[0247] The shaft-bottom functional layer laminate 237 can be a multilayer
laminate with two, three, or more layers. At least one functional layer
is contained with at least one textile support for the functional layer,
whereby the functional layer can be formed by a waterproof,
water-vapor-permeable membrane 247, which is preferably macroporous.

Test Methods

Thickness

[0248] The thickness of the barrier material according to the invention is
tested according to DIN ISO 5084 (October 1996).

Puncture Resistance

[0249] The puncture resistance of the textile fabric can be measured with
a measurement method employed by the EMPA ([Swiss] Federal Material
Testing and Research Institute), using a test device of the Instrom
tensile testing machine (model 4465). A round textile piece 13 cm in
diameter is punched out with a punch and attached to a support plate in
which there are 17 holes. A punch, on which 17 spike-like needles (sewing
needle type 110/18) is attached and lowered at a speed of 1000 mm/min far
enough that the needles pass through the textile piece into the holes of
the support plate. The force for puncturing of the textile piece is
measured by means of a measurement sensor (a force sensor). The result is
determined from a test of three samples.

Waterproof Functional Layer/Barrier Unit

[0250] A functional layer is considered "waterproof," optionally including
the seams provided on the functional layer, when it guarantees a water
penetration pressure of at least 1×104 Pa. The
functional-layer material preferably guarantees a water-penetration
pressure of more than 1×105 Pa. The water-penetration pressure
is then measured according to a test method in which distilled water, at
20±2° C., is applied to a sample of 100 cm2 of the
functional layer with increasing pressure. The pressure increase of the
water is 60±3 cm H2O per minute. The water-penetration pressure
corresponds to the pressure at which water first appears on the other
side of the sample. Details concerning the procedure are provided in ISO
standard 0811 from the year 1981.

Waterproof Shoe

[0251] Whether a shoe is waterproof can be tested, for example, with a
centrifugal arrangement of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,807.

[0252] WATER-Vapor Permeability of the Barrier Material

[0253] The water-vapor permeability values of the barrier material
according to the invention are tested by means of the so-called beaker
method according to DIN EN ISO 15496 (September 2004).

Water-Vapor Permeability of the Functional Layer

[0254] A functional layer is considered "water-vapor-permeable", if it has
a water-vapor permeability number, Ret, of less than 150
m1×Pa×W-1. The water-vapor permeability is tested
according to the Hohenstein skin model. This test method is described in
DIN EN 31092 (February 94) or ISO 11092 (1993).

Water-Vapor Permeability of the Shoe-Bottom Structure According to the
Invention

[0255] In a embodiment of the footwear according to the invention with a
shoe-bottom structure that includes the composite shoe sole and the
shaft-bottom functional layer or the shaft-bottom functional layer
laminate situated above it, the shoe-bottom structure has a water-vapor
permeability (MVTR--moisture vapor transmission rate) in the range from
0.4 g/h to 3 g/h, which can lie in the range from 0.8 g/h to 1.5 g/h and
in a practical embodiment is 1 g/h.

[0256] The gauge of water-vapor permeability of the shoe-bottom structure
can be determined with the measurement method documented in EP 0,396,716
B1, which is conceived for measuring the water-vapor permeability of an
entire shoe. To measure the water-vapor permeability of only the
shoe-bottom structure of a shoe, the measurement method according to EP
0,396,716 B1 can also be used, in which the measurement is made with the
measurement layout depicted in FIG. 1 of EP 0,396,716 B1 in two
consecutive measurement scenarios, namely once for the shoe with a
water-vapor-permeable shoe-bottom structure and another time for an
otherwise identical shoe with a water-vapor-impermeable shoe-bottom
structure. From the difference between the two measurements, the
percentage of water-vapor permeability can be determined that is
attributed to the water-vapor permeability of the water-vapor-permeable
shoe-bottom structure.

[0257] In each measurement scenario, using the measurement method
according to EP 0,396,716 B1, the following sequence of steps is used:

[0258] a) Conditioning the shoe by leaving it in an air-conditioned room
(23° C., 50% relative humidity) for at least 12 hours.

[0259] b)
Removing the insert sole (foot bed)

[0260] c) Lining the shoe with a
waterproof, water-vapor-permeable lining material adapted to the shoe
interior, which, in the area of the foot-insertion opening of the shoe,
can be sealed waterproof and water-vapor-tight with a waterproof,
water-vapor-impermeable sealing plug (for example, made of Plexiglas with
an inflatable sleeve).

[0261] d) Filling water into the lining material
and closure of the foot insertion opening of the shoe with the sealing
plug.

[0262] e) Preconditioning the water-filled shoe by leaving it for a
predetermined period (3 hours), whereby the temperature of the water is
kept constant at 35° C. The climate of the surrounding room is
also kept constant at 23° C. and 50% relative humidity. The shoe
is blown against frontally by a fan during the test with a wind velocity,
on average, of at least 2 m/s to 3 m/s (to destroy a resting air layer
that forms around the standing shoe, which would cause a significant
resistance to water-vapor passage).

[0263] f) Reweighing the shoe filled
with water and sealed with the sealing plug after preconditioning
(result: weight m2 (g))

[0264] g) Standing again in a 3-hour phase under
the same conditions as in step e)

[0266] i) Determining the water-vapor permeability of the shoe from the
amount of water vapor that escapes through the shoe during the 3-hour
test period 3 hours (m2-m3) (g) according to the relation
M=(m2-m3)(g)/3(h).

[0267] After both measurement scenarios have been conducted, whereby the
water-vapor permeability values are measured, on the one hand, for the
entire shoe with a water-vapor-permeable shoe-bottom structure (value A)
and, on the other hand, for the entire shoe with a water vapor-permeable
shaft-bottom structure (value B), the water-vapor permeability value for
the water vapor-permeable shoe-bottom structure alone can be determined
from the difference A-B.

[0268] It is important during measurement of the water-vapor permeability
of the shoe with the water-vapor-permeable shoe-bottom structure to avoid
a situation, where the shoe or its sole stands directly on a closed
substrate. This can be achieved by raising the shoe or by positioning the
shoe on a mesh structure, so that it is ensured that the ventilation air
stream can flow along--or better beneath--the outsole.

[0269] It is useful in each test layout for a certain shoe to make
repeated measurements and consider the averages from them, in order to be
able to estimate the measurement scatter better. At least two
measurements should be made for each shoe with the measurement layout. In
all measurements, a natural fluctuation of the measurement results of
±0.2 g/h around the actual value, for example, 1 g/h, should be
assumed. For this example, measured values between 0.8 g/h and 1.2 g/h
could therefore be determined for the identical shoe. Influencing factors
for these fluctuations could be the person performing the test or the
quality of sealing on the upper shaft edge. By determining several
individual measured values for the same shoe, a more exact picture of the
actual value can be obtained.

[0270] All values for water-vapor permeability of the shoe-bottom
structure are based on a normally cut men's shoe of size 43 (French
sizes), whereby the statement of the size is not standardized, and shoes
of different manufacturers could come out differently.

[0271] There are essentially two possibilities for the measurement
scenarios:

[0276] An elongation and tensile-strength test was conducted according to
DIN EN ISO 13934-1 of April 1999. Instead of five samples per direction,
three were used. The spacing of the clamping jaws was 100 mm in all
samples.

Abrasion

[0277] With respect to abrasion resistance, for the abrasion measurements,
two measurement methods were used to obtain the abrasion values in the
comparison table. In the first place, a Martindale abrasion tester was
used (abrasion carbon in the table), whereby, according to Standard DIN
EN ISO 124940-1; -2 (April 1999), the sample being tested is rubbed
against sandpaper. Three deviations from the standard are then made:
firstly, sandpaper with grain 180 plus standard foam is tightened in the
sample holder. Secondly, standard felt from the test sample is tightened
in the sample table. Thirdly place, the sample is inspected very 700
passes and the sandpaper is changed. On the other hand, abrasion
resistance was tested in wet samples (in the table "wet abrasion")
according to DIN EN ISO 12947-1, -2, -4, with the deviation from the
standard that the sample table with standard felt and standard wool were
saturated with distilled water every 12,800 passes.

[0278] In the abrasion tests, friction movements according to Lissajous
figures were conducted. Lissajous figures represent periodically
repeating overall pictures with appropriate choice of the ratio of
participating frequencies, which consist of individual figures offset
relative to each other. Passage through one of these individual figures
is referred to as a pass in conjunction with the abrasion test. In all
materials 1 to 5, the number of passes the first holes occurred in the
corresponding material and the material was therefore scraped through was
measured. In the comparison table, two pass values are found for each of
the materials formed from two abrasion tests with the same material.

[0280] "Shore hardness" is understood to mean the resistance to
penetration of an object of a specific shape and defined spring force.
The Shore hardness is the difference between the numerical value 100 and
the penetration depth of the penetration object in mm under the influence
of the test force divided by the scale value 0.025 mm.

[0281] During testing according to Shore A, a truncated cone with an
opening angle of 35° is used as penetration object and in Shore D,
a cone with an opening angle of 30° and a tip radius of 0.1 mm is
used. The penetration objects consist of polished, tempered steel.

Measurement Equation:

[0282] HS = 100 - h 0 , 025 ##EQU00001## F=550+75HSA

F=445HSD

H in mm, F in mN

Area of Application:

[0283] Because of the different resolution of the two Shore-hardness
methods in different hardness ranges, the materials with a Shore A
hardness >80 are appropriately tested according to Shore D and
materials with a Shore D hardness <30 according to Shore A.

[0284] A material that enables the shoe or parts/materials present in the
shoe, such as outer material, sole, membrane, to be mechanically
protected and resist deformation, and also penetration of external
objects/foreign bodies, for example, through the sole, while retaining
high water-vapor transport, i.e., high climate comfort in the shoe. The
mechanical protection and resistance to deformation are mostly based on
limited elongation of the barrier material.

Fiber Composite:

[0285] General term for a composite of fibers of any type. This includes
leather, non-woven materials or knits consisting of metal fibers, under
some circumstances, also in a blend with textile fibers, also yarns and
textiles produced from yarns (fabrics).

[0286] The fiber composite must have at least two fiber components. These
components can be fibers (for example, staple fibers), filaments, fiber
elements, yarns, strands, etc. Each fiber component consists either of a
material or contains at least two different material fractions, the one
fiber part softening/melting at a lower temperature than the other fiber
part (bico). Such bico fibers can have a core-shell structure--a core
fiber part is enclosed with a shell fiber part here--a side-to-side
structure or an island-in-the-sea structure. Such processing and machines
are available from Rieter Ingolstadt, Germany and/or Schalfhorst in
Monchengladbach, Germany.

[0287] The fibers can be simply spun, multifilaments, or several torn
fibers with frayed ends looped to one another.

[0288] The fiber components can be uniformly or non-uniformly distributed
in the fabric composite.

[0289] The entire fabric composite must preferably be temperature-stable,
but at least up to 180° C.

[0290] A uniform and smooth surface on at least one side of the fiber
composite is achieved by means of pressure and temperature. This smooth
surface points "downward" to the ground/floor, so that a situation is
achieved, in which particles/foreign objects bounce off the smooth
surface better or are repelled more simply.

[0291] The properties of the surface or overall structure of the fiber
composite or reinforcement material depend on the selected fibers, the
temperature, the pressure, and the period over which the fiber composite
was exposed to temperature and pressure.

Non-Woven Material:

[0292] Here, the fibers are laid on a conveyor belt and tangled.

Lay:

[0293] A fishnet or sieve structure of fibers. See EP 1,294,656 from
Dupont.

Felt:

[0294] Wool fibers that are opened and hooked by mechanical effects.

Woven Fabric:

[0295] A fabric produced with warp and weft threads.

Woven and Knit Fabric:

[0296] A fabric formed by meshes.

Melting Point:

[0297] The melting point is the temperature at which the fiber component
or fiber part becomes liquid. "Melting point" is understood, in the field
of polymer or fiber structures, to mean a narrow temperature range in
which the crystalline areas of the polymer or fiber structure melt and
the polymer converts to the liquid state. It lies above the softening
temperature range and is a significant quantity for partially
crystallized polymers, "Molten" means the change of state of aggregation
of a fiber or parts of a fiber at a characteristic temperature from solid
to viscous/free-flowing.

Softening Temperature Range:

[0298] The second fiber component of the second fiber part must only
become soft/plastic, but not liquid. This means that the softening
temperature used lies below the melting point, at which the
components/fractions flow. The fiber component or parts of it are
preferably softened, so that the more temperature-stable component is
embedded or incorporated in the softened parts.

[0299] The first softening temperature range of the first fiber component
lies higher than the second softening temperature range of the second
fiber component or the second fiber part of the second fiber component.
The lower limit of the first softening range can lie below the upper
limit of the second softening temperature range.

Adhesive Softening Temperature:

[0300] The temperature, at which softening of the second fiber component
or the second fiber part occurs, in which its material exerts a gluing
effect, so that at least some of the fibers of the second fiber component
are thermally bonded to one another by gluing, a bonding reinforcement of
the fiber component occurs, which lies above the bonding obtained in a
fiber composite with the same materials for the two fiber components by
purely mechanical bonding, for example, by needle bonding of the fiber
composite. The adhesive softening temperature can also be chosen in such
a way that softening of the fibers of the second fiber component occurs
to an extent that gluing develops, not only of fibers of the second fiber
component to one another, but also partial or full enclosure of the
individual sites of the fibers of the first fiber composite with softened
material of the fibers of the second fiber composite, i.e., partial or
full embedding of those sites of the fibers in the first fiber composite
in the material of the fibers of the second fiber component, so that a
correspondingly increased reinforcement bonding of the fiber composite is
produced.

Temperature Stability:

[0301] If the reinforcement device is molded on, the barrier material must
be temperature-stable for molding. The same applies to molding (about
170° C.-180° C.) or vulcanization of the shoe sole. If the
reinforcement device is to molded on, the barrier material must have a
structure such that the reinforcement device can at least penetrate into
the structure of the barrier material, or optionally penetrate through
it.

Functional Layer/Membrane:

[0302] The shaft-bottom functional layer, and optionally the shaft
functional layer, can be formed by a waterproof, water-vapor-permeable
coating or a waterproof, water-vapor-permeable membrane, which can either
be a microporous membrane or a membrane having no pores. In one
embodiment of the invention, the membrane is expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).

[0303] Appropriate materials for a waterproof, water-vapor-permeable
functional layer include polyurethane, polypropylene, polyester,
including polyether-ester and laminates thereof, as described in
documents U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,418 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,870. However,
microporous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is particularly
preferred, as described, for example, in documents U.S. Pat. No.
3,953,366 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,390, and expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene provided with hydrophilic impregnation agents
and/or hydrophilic layers; see, for example, document U.S. Pat. No.
4,194,041. A "microporous functional layer" is understood to mean a
functional layer, whose average pore size is between about 0.2 μm and
about 0.3 μm.

[0304] The pore size can be measured with a Coulter Porometer (trade name)
produced by Coulter Electronics, Inc., Hialeah, Fla., USA.

Barrier Unit:

[0305] The barrier unit is formed by the barrier material, and optionally
by the reinforcement device in the form of at least one bar and/or a
frame. The barrier unit can be present in the form of a prefabricated
component.

Composite Shoe Sole:

[0306] The composite shoe sole consists of barrier material and at least
one reinforcement device and at least one outsole, as well as optional
additional sole layers, whereby the barrier material closes at least a
through hole extending through the thickness of the composite shoe sole.

Through Hole:

[0307] A through hole is an area of the composite shoe sole through which
water-vapor transport is possible. The outsole and the reinforcement
device each have passage openings that overall form a through hole
through the entire thickness of the composite shoe sole. The through hole
is therefore formed by the intersection surface of the two passage
openings. Any bars present are arranged within the peripheral edge of the
corresponding through hole and do not form a limitation of the through
hole. The area of the through hole is determined by subtracting the area
of all bridging bars, since these bar surfaces block water-vapor
transport and therefore do not represent a through hole area.

Reinforcement Device:

[0308] The reinforcement device acts as an additional reinforcement of the
barrier material and is formed and applied to the barrier material, so
that the water-vapor permeability of the barrier material is only
slightly influenced, if at all. This is achieved by the fact that only a
small area of the barrier material is covered by the reinforcement
device. The reinforcement device is preferably directed downward toward
the floor. The reinforcement device is primarily assigned not a
protective function, but a reinforcement function.

Opening of the Reinforcement Device:

[0309] The at least one opening of the reinforcement device is bounded by
its at least one frame. The area of an opening is determined by
subtracting the area of all bridging bars.

Shoe:

[0310] A foot covering, consisting of a composite shoe sole and a closed
upper (shaft).

Shoe Bottom:

[0311] The shoe bottom includes all layers beneath the foot.

Thermal Activation:

[0312] Thermal activation occurs by exposing the fiber composite to
energy, which leads to an increase in temperature of the material to the
softening temperature range.

Water-Permeable Composite Shoe Sole:

[0313] A composite shoe sole is tested according to the centrifuge
arrangement of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,807. Before
testing, it must be ensured that any shaft-bottom functional layer
present is made water-permeable. A water-permeable composite shoe sole is
assumed, if this test is not passed. If necessary, the test is conducted
with a colored liquid, in order to show the path of electricity through
the composite shoe sole.

Laminate:

[0314] A laminate is a composite consisting of a waterproof,
water-vapor-permeable functional layer with at least one textile layer.
The at least one textile layer, also called a backing, primarily serves
to protect the functional layer during processing. We speak here of a
two-ply laminate. A three-ply laminate consists of a waterproof,
water-vapor-permeable functional layer embedded between two textile
layers, spot-gluing being applied between these layers.

Waterproof Functional Layer/Barrier Unit:

[0315] A functional layer is considered "waterproof," optionally including
seams provided on the functional layer, if it guarantees a water
penetration pressure of at least 1×104 Pa.

Top of the Composite Shoe Sole:

[0316] The "top" of the composite shoe sole is understood to mean the
surface of the composite shoe sole that lies opposite the shaft bottom.

Outsole:

[0317] "Outsole" is understood to mean the part of the composite shoe sole
that touches the floor/ground or produces the main contact with the
floor/ground.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0318] 1 Fiber composite

[0319] 2 First fiber component

[0320] 3 Second
fiber component

[0321] 4 Core

[0322] 5 Shell

[0323] 6 Connection

[0324]
21 Composite shoe sole

[0325] 23 Outsole

[0326] 25 Shoe-reinforcement
device

[0327] 27 Opening outsole

[0328] 29 Opening of shoe-reinforcement
device

[0329] 31 Through hole

[0330] 33 Shoe-reinforcement material

[0331] 33a Shoe-reinforcement material

[0332] 33b Shoe-reinforcement
material

[0333] 33c Shoe-reinforcement material

[0334] 33d
Shoe-reinforcement material

[0335] 35 Barrier unit

[0336] 37
Reinforcement bar

[0337] 37a Individual bar

[0338] 37b Individual bar

[0339] 37c Individual bar

[0340] 37d Reinforcement mesh

[0341] 39 Glue

[0342] 43 Circular surface

[0343] 101 Shoe

[0344] 103 Shaft

[0345] 105
Composite shoe sole

[0346] 107 Forefoot area

[0347] 109 Midfoot area

[0348] 111 Heel area

[0349] 113 Foot-insertion opening

[0350] 115 Shaft
bottom

[0351] 117 Multipart outsole

[0352] 117a Heel area of multipart
outsole

[0353] 117b Ball-of-foot area of multipart outsole

[0354] 117c
Toe area of multipart outsole

[0355] 119 Reinforcement device

[0356]
119a Heel area

[0357] 119b Midfoot area

[0358] 119c Forefoot area

[0359]
121 Damping sole part

[0360] 121a Heel area of damping sole part

[0361]
121b Midfoot area of damping sole part

[0362] [123] Outsole openings

[0363] 123a Heel area

[0364] 123b Midfoot area

[0365] 123c Forefoot area

[0366] 125 Passage opening in the heel area 119a of the reinforcement
device